Five Years Later
by Rescuemama2007
Summary: Five years ago, when Gabi finds out she's pregnant and Will offers to marry her, she says "yes". Now, after 5 years of living together as roomates, Will & Gabi agree it's time for divorce. So what happens when Will meets Sonny and falls in love for the first time? And how does Will move forward with his new relationship when his soon-to-be ex-wife is still living with him?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I was so not wanting to start another story, but I couldn't help myself! I just could not stop thinking about if Gabi had said 'yes' to Will when he found out she was pregnant and said he'd marry her. **

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"Gabi, can you please give it a rest?" She's blathering on about a new pair of jeans she wants to buy, but I can't handle her right now. She glares at me.

"Yikes. Someone sure woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

"Hmm, in order to 'wake up' it means that I would have actually had to sleep, and 'wrong side of the bed' implies that I made it to either side last night. Neither of which are true."

"You are such a good Dad, Will," she says too sweetly. _And you could be a good Mom if you tried harder, too, Gabi._ But I keep that part to myself.

"So, you are staying home with her today?" I start cleaning up the living room where Arianna's toys have completely taken over. Tossing a couple cars and a doll into the toy box, I give her one of my you-should-know-better looks.

"I am. She was still running a fever this morning, Gabi, so she can't go to school or day care. Hopefully one more day home will allow those antibiotics to kick in. I don't know if you heard it, but her cough is just awful. That's what kept her – and me – awake all night."

Avoiding my eyes, Gabi starts to head down the hallway. "Thanks. I'm going to go in and tell her good-bye."

I step in front of her. "Really? She just finally got to sleep, Gabi, and she needs the rest. Can you not wake her up - please?"

"Fine. I'll just go then. I've got to get to work anyway. Give her a kiss for me, okay?" She's short with me because I keep her from waking Arianna. She heads to the door without looking back.

"Sure, Gabi. See you later," but she's already closed the door.

I go back to my tidying, trying to keep quiet enough that I don't wake Arianna. The last two nights have been hell. Between running a fever with severe chills, Arianna has hardly stopped coughing since Sunday night. The antibiotic doesn't appear to be working yet, but she did just start taking it yesterday. And Gabi seems to have no trouble sleeping through the crying and coughing fits of her 5 year-old daughter. I don't understand that. Aren't mothers supposed to have these highly tuned senses when it comes to their children? Like being able to hear their cry from a block away or smell chocolate on their breath when they ate it without permission? Whatever this phenomenon is, it doesn't apply to Gabi.

Ever since our baby was born I have been the primary caretaker. I was up for middle of the night feedings, I was there when she started crawling, walking and said her first word, which just happened to be "dada". Gabi couldn't make it to Arianna's first school Christmas program, but I was there, in the front row, getting it all on video. When she's sick it's usually me who takes her to the doctor, gives her medication and stays up with her through rough nights. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. Would I do anything differently? Absolutely, yes. Despite my noble intentions and our responsible, yet misguided decision to marry, that has been our biggest mistake. And I would take it back if I could. I would un-propose to Gabi in a heartbeat. That is why we've filed for divorce.

"Daddy," a little voice is in my ear. I open my eyes and there stands my sweet daughter, decked out in her favorite dress and red converse shoes. "Wake up, Daddy. I feel better. Can we go to McDonald's for lunch?" I must have dozed off. I rub my eyes and can't help but smile at her eagerness.

"Woah, little girl. Just a few hours ago you were running a fever and couldn't stop coughing. That's why you are home from school and I'm not at work." I put the back of my hand to her forehead and am surprised by the normal warmth I feel. For the last couple of days I've been afraid to do this knowing that she would be burning up. "Open your mouth for me, aaahhhhh..." I demonstrate for her.

"Daddy, I know how," she puts an annoyed hand on her hip. She looks twice her age when she does this, but I can't help but find it completely and utterly adorable.

Chuckling, "okay then show me," I command, and she rolls her eyes and opens her mouth wide. Her throat looks good - no redness like earlier this morning. "Well, I'm impressed. The medicine the doctor gave you yesterday must be working finally. But I don't want to push it, Arianna. Can we just stay here and watch a movie? I'll make you a sandwich?"

Opening her big blue eyes and batting her eyelashes, she implores me, "Nooo, please, Daddy. We can come back later and watch a movie."

"What's gotten into you girlie? Are you antsy from being cooped up in this house with me for three days?" I pretend to pout as she nods her head dramatically.

"Yes, Daddy. I need some fresh air," she says to me as she knows I'm just about to give in to her. She needs fresh air? She's picked that up from her Mom. Gabi frequently uses it as an excuse to leave the apartment...and leave me and her daughter behind.

"Well, gosh, who am I to turn down my beautiful daughter's request for fresh air?" She giggles at me and starts to jump up and down in excitement. "First, though, we need to run a brush through that hair. It's a rat's nest from you laying on it for days."

"Awww, Daddy, I think my hair is fine. You always hurt me when you brush my hair." Her arms are crossed in front of her. This is true, though. But only because Arianna fights me like crazy anytime I attempt to wash, brush, or untangle her thick mane of dark curls. They are gorgeous and when tamed, make her look like a fairy tale princess. Right now, the mess is so unruly, I'm afraid I won't even get the brush through it.

I make her a deal. "If you really want to go out, we need to fix your hair. Let me use some de-tangler spray, and I'll pull it back into a ponytail with a big bow, how does that sound?"

Sighing melodramatically at me, she relents. "Fine. But make it quick. I'm hungry."

An hour and a half later, we are on our way back home when Arianna interrupts our sing-a-long with "Payphone", one of our favorite songs on the radio. "Daddy?" she meets my eyes in the rear view mirror.

"Yes, dear?"

"Sometime can we do coffee?" My laughter is loud and long. This she has picked up from me. I never knew just how funny it would sound coming from a 5 year old until now. "Daddy stop laughing at me. It's not nice." She's pouting again.

"You're right, it's not nice. I'm sorry." I flash her an apologetic smile followed by a my best crazy face: eyes crossed, tongue out, nose wiggling. After getting her to crack a smile, I ask," what if we go do coffee right now?"

"For reals, Daddy?" _Where does my child come up with this stuff?_ I switch on the right turn signal and head for Horton Square. There's a great coffee shop there I've been visiting for the last few months. It's comfortable, got great drinks and a super cute barista. Just then I wonder to myself if I really want to take Arianna to this place that's been solely mine, where I go to escape. What's the cute guy behind the counter going to think of me when I walk in with her?

"What am I doing?" I ask myself quietly, shaking my head. He doesn't even know that I exist. So, I'll just be any other customer to him.

"Did you say something, Daddy?" Arianna is already back to reading her book. Her legs dangle over her booster seat, and she rests a hand underneath her chin, as if deep in thought. She is so beautiful. And she is getting to be so grown up. I can't believe that 5 years has gone by already. I can never spend enough time with Arianna.

"Nope, honey," I pull the car into the parking lot. "We're here. Let's go do coffee." She's out of the backseat before I know it, grabbing my hand and dragging me through Horton Square. "It's just around the corner, Arianna," directing her to the 'Common Grounds' sign on the door at the end of the sidewalk. "After you," and I let her into the shop in front of me.

"Daddy, let's sit at this table!" and she selects one in the back with two red chairs. I know why this has to be the one.

"Hmmmm...I wonder why you've chosen this table? Is it because it's near the bathroom? Or maybe it's the pretty picture on the wall behind it? Or maybe the green candle on the table?" I tease her, knowing exactly why my blue-eyed beauty chose this table.

Giggling, wrinkling her nose up like I do, "No!" And she plops heavily into one of the cushioned chairs. "It's cuz' they are red, Daddy! You know it's my favorite color," her tone turns serious and I feign surprise, my mouth open wide and hands in the air.

"Red is your favorite color?" and I take a look at my daughter dressed from head to toe in that very color. Her dress has big red polka-dots all over it, her leggings are the same shade as the dots and topping off the outfit are her very dirty, but still clearly red, converse tennis shoes.

"Dad-dy," she scolds me, giving me a stern look much beyond her 5 years. "I've told you a million times that red is my favorite color."

"Sor-ry," I try to mimc her tone. "Can I get my pretty lady a hot chocolate with whipped cream?"

"But I thought we were doing coffee?" she asks sincerely.

"Sweetie, I'm not sure you will like coffee. More grown-ups drink it than kids. But if you want to try it, I'll get a cup and you can taste mine, how does that sound?" I think I am being generous offering my 5 year old caffeine in the afternoon.

Arianna's bottom lip pops out a little, and I can tell she's not happy with my suggestion. "You said we could do coffee, Daddy, so that's what I want." Choosing not to fight her on this, I tell her to stay put to save our spot while I get drinks.

The really cute barista with the brown eyes that make me melt is working the bar. He lifts his head up from whatever he's working on to flash me one of the most spectacular smiles I've ever seen. "What can I get you?" he asks giving me his full attention.

"Coffee," I manage, not able to stop staring at his perfect white teeth framed by smooth, delicious-looking lips. He says something to me but like an idiot, I am lost in my own private brown-eyed wonderland that I don't hear a word. "Wh-what?" I stammer awkwardly.

"Do you need room for cream?" he repeats, slightly amused.

"Um, no, thanks. Just straight up. And I need two cups, please." I'm sure Arianna won't be able to handle a basic, black coffee, without milk or sugar.

"Two? Are you meeting somebody?" he inquires, and my stomach does a couple cartwheels at his question.

"Nope. This is for that little girl over there, who is 5 going on 25, I think. She's determined we 'do coffee' and that means she must drink a cup to make it official." I smile, turning my head towards the back of the shop where she is squirming but still patiently waiting for me.

"Oh, I see. It's a coffee date then," and he grins at her as she turns in her chair and meets his eyes. "She is a cutie." He grabs another mug and starts to fill it, "this one straight, too?" And if I'm not mistaken, he puts an unusual emphasis on the word 'straight'. _Am I that obvious? Am I wearing a sign that says 'desperately seeking hot coffee guy'?_ Thinking I must be reading into things, I nod and head back to our table with two fresh cups of coffee.

"Here you go, Arianna. It's going to be hot, so you can blow on it or let it sit for a while to cool off." She puts her nose to it and takes a breath in. Grimacing, she quickly looks across the table at me to see if I've noticed. I have, but I look away, pretending to enjoy the artwork on the walls.

"Can we play checkers?" she asks and before I answer, she is up and across the room where the games are stacked. Bringing checkers over to us, she starts setting up, of course passing the black ones to me. Ten minutes, three double jumps and a board full of kinged red pieces later, I am about to surrender my last man standing when Mr. Brown Eyes stops at our table.

"Can I get either of you a refill?" he asks, smirking at the barely touched cup of coffee in front of Arianna.

"No, I decided I'm not in the mood for coffee today," Arianna speaks to him sincerely. I'm trying very hard to stifle a laugh. "Could I have hot chocolate instead? With whipped cream?" I should have just ordered that in the first place.

"Arianna," I ask, giving her my best serious-Dad look. "Are you going to drink this one or just let it sit like the coffee you insisted I order for you?"

"Daddy, I'll drink it, I promise. The coffee was just too smoky tasting," she finished and brown eyes and I cracked up. She must have been listening to some other customers discuss coffee while I was up front.

"Smoky, hah?" Sonny plays along, "with a slight black cherry top note, right?"

Meeting his eyes and nodding, my daughter gives him a pretty convincing "yes" before he heads off, chuckling, to make her hot chocolate. Within a couple of minutes he is back with a very tall cup of hot chocolate, complete with lots of whipped cream and my mug, refilled with straight-up black coffee.

"Wow! Thank you," she may be spoiled, but I have taught her manners. "My name is Arianna, what's yours?" she asks as she delves into the mound of whipped cream starting to melt and drip down the sides of the mug.

"Arianna, nice to meet you. You have a very pretty name," he continues to watch her as the whipped cream is now on her cheeks, nose and most of her fingers. She'll definitely need a bath tonight. "My name is Sonny."

She gazes up at him like he's told a funny joke, "what? Sunny is your name? Like in the sky?"

"Good question. It sounds like that, but I spell it S-O-N-N-Y." My daughter pretends to understand and goes right back to her chocolaty drink.

"Sonny, hi, I'm Will," and I reach out a hand to him. His fingers wrap around mine, and I am already picturing those fingers exploring beyond my hands. _There I go again. Wishful thinking._

"Will, nice to meet you and your...daughter? niece?" he asks waiting for me to fill in the blank.

"Daughter," I say without hesitation. Here we go. I expect now to get 'the look'; you know the one that's equal parts shock and pity. It's the one I always get from people, especially guys, when they meet Arianna. But the look never comes, and I am pleasantly surprised.

"Well, Arianna and Will, enjoy your coffee date. I'll be here for the next hour if you need anything else, okay?"

"Okay," she says and I remind her to be polite.

"What do you need to say to Sonny?" you hope she'll make you proud.

"Thank you Sonny. I really like your shoes."

Both Sonny and I look down immediately at his feet. Red converse tennis shoes peek out from under his jeans. As soon as he sees what the two of them have in common, he's fist-bumping with my daughter, bragging about their shared fabulous taste.

Just then the door to the coffee house opens and who walks in? No one other than Gabi, my wife for not too much longer and mother of my child. Although she hasn't been my 'wife' in the true sense of the word since our oops night when Arianna was conceived.

"Mommy!" Arianna yells and runs to her. Several guys are following Gabi into the shop. I admit that she is beautiful, that's undeniable. But the attraction was never there, no matter how hard I tried. And we've been living like roommates since our honeymoon.

"Well, Arianna Grace, what are you doing here? You are supposed to be at home resting?" Gabi looks at me for an explanation.

"I am feeling much better, Mommy, so Daddy took me to lunch and now we're doing coffee," she says proudly, lifting her mug as proof.

"That's neat, sweetheart, but Mommy is getting coffee to go so she can get back to work." She gives the two other guys a knowing look and they order their beverages to go.

"Well, you two, I'll see you later." They are off just as quickly as they arrived.

"Do you want to stay here, honey, or would you like to go back and watch a movie?"

"I think I'd like to stay here. Unless Sonny can come back and watch the movie with us?" My daughter absolutely floors me sometimes. How did she know that I've been daydreaming about this guy for weeks? Can she sense how I feel? Maybe hear my heart beating at twice its normal pace? She's precocious and adorable and I love her more than anything in the world.

"Oh honey, I'm sure Sonny appreciates the invitation, but he has to work." _So, let's just stay so I can keep watching him as he works._

"That's very nice of you, Arianna, but your Dad is right, I have to work. You'd think since I'm the boss, I could give myself some time off, but we're kind of short-staffed this afternoon. Thank you, though." He quickly moves on to clear the next table.

As Arianna and I are getting ready to leave, I return our mugs to the front counter, hoping to have one last chance to talk to Sonny. "I got this," he says to a co-worker who was heading up front to help me. "Can I get you anything to go?" he asks, taking the empty mugs from me.

"No, we are good. Thank you." I'm still standing there even though we've established that I don't need anything else.

"You have a beautiful daughter, Will. She's got your wife's hair, but the piercing blue eyes are all yours."

I'm taken aback by a couple of things he's just said. "Ex-wife," I correct him, "or at least very soon to be," feeling like I need to tell him that, a man I have a crush on and have only just officially met 15 minutes ago.

"Oh," is all he says but I see wheels turning. I don't even know if he is gay, but I all of a sudden feel the urge to tell him that I am.

"Long story...but let's just say that we were two very naive teenagers who should not have gotten married only because we were having a baby. I had already come out, even though I was a complete mess about it. So, now we're going to undo what we shouldn't have done in the first place." I just gave him way too much information. Right now I wish the floor would swallow me up so I didn't have to try to get myself out of this one. "I'm sorry...too much information..."

"Will, don't worry about it. You're out, hah? Me too." _Yippee, woohoo, thank the lord._ "And don't worry about TMI. I like hearing about you." Was it me daydreaming again or did he actually sound interested? I don't see a ring on his finger, so I make the assumption that he is single. And I'm a gay male, married to the mother of my child, raising a 5 year old practically on my own, flirting shamelessly with this guy working at the neighborhood coffee shop. _Get a grip, _I thought._ This is never going to happen while I have my daughter in tow._ So many times someone shows interest until they see the wedding ring or hear me talk about Arianna. I know it's too much for most to handle. But I'm hoping that it isn't for Sonny.

"So," I pause to work up the courage to continue, "I hope maybe to see you again sometime when you are working?"

"Yeah, sure, Will. I'll see you around."

I wave from the doorway as Arianna and I turn to leave. I feel eyes on my back, watching my every move. I look back one last time and meet Sonny's intense stare with my own. "Until next time," I say and then it's off to catch that movie I promised to watch with my daughter this afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm really sorry, Will, but it just won't work." I had heard this so many times before.

"You're serious? You are flaking out on Arianna again? You know how much she has been looking forward to this weekend away with you and her Uncle Rafe." I am perturbed and Gabi knows it. Lately everything in her life seems to be taking priority over her own daughter. I don't know why I'm so surprised that she sprung this on me today. I suppose I'm not surprised as much as I am pissed off. One weekend I actually plan some things for myself...things that don't include bedtime stories or car seats.

"We'll reschedule...I promise..." she trails off, having a hard time even convincing herself that she means it.

"Gabi, what's really going on with you? Do you really not want to spend time with your daughter?" I had to know why this has escalated so much in the last year. Gabi is absent more and more from Arianna's life, and I am beginning to wonder if she no longer likes being a Mom.

"Will! Of course I want to spend time with Arianna. But it really is work, like I said! If I don't go in this weekend and catch up then **I** may not have a job on Monday and then **we** may not be able to keep this place, okay?" She's getting frustrated with me, but I am just as frustrated with her. She always seems to have an excuse for being away from home...away from her daughter.

I look her directly in the eyes and ask quietly, "do you hate motherhood that much, Gabi?"

I thought she would freak out, start yelling at me for asking such a question. But she doesn't. Instead her eyes fill with tears, and she slumps down hard on the couch. "I could never hate motherhood, Will. Arianna is the best thing that's ever happened to me," she whispers when I sit down next to her. "I just didn't think it would be this hard, Will, managing a child, a career, a social life, a marriage that never should have been. I feel like years have flown right by me, and I don't even know what I have to show for it."

I didn't want to feel sympathy for her, but I can't help myself. No matter how rough the last 5 years have been between us, she is still one of my best friends. And Arianna will forever keep us connected. "Gabi, we are only 24 years old, we have so much of life left to live! You just have to know that your life will always include your daughter and always include me in some way. Keeping her, raising her, getting married - that was a decision we made together. And whether or not it was the right one is irrelevant now. We just have to accept what we can't change and make the best of it. For me Arianna makes it pretty easy to focus primarily on the good stuff."

"You are pretty wise for your 24 years, you know that Will?" Gabi smiles at me and wipes away a stray tear. "I guess I'm just stressing about the wrong things lately. I'm sorry. You know that I love our daughter with all my heart, right?"

"I do, Gabi. I just think it's unfair to Arianna when you make all these plans with her then cancel them. She may be a smart 5 year old, but she doesn't really understand why work demands so much of your time. She just wants to be with her Mom, okay?" I reach out and put my arm around her shoulder. "Maybe when the divorce is final, and we've moved into our own places, it will be easier to manage our individual time with her. But for now this really does have to be a partnership. I love our daughter, trust me, but I need a break once in a while, too!"

Gabi nods at me and gets up from the couch. "I know, Will. And I meant what I said about you being a great Dad. You are the best. But all of this doesn't change the fact that I still have to work this weekend and can't take Arianna. You understand, right?"

"Understand? Maybe not. Accept it? Yes, I do. I recognize that your career is important to you, and I'm willing to rearrange my plans to watch Arianna for the weekend, okay?"

"I owe you," she says to me. This is certainly not the first time she's backed out and 'owes me'. One of these days I will cash in on all of those favors. One day. "Thanks so much, Will. Give her a big kiss for me, and I'll text you if anything changes." Gabi grabs her bag from the table, a bottle of water from the fridge, and her keys from the desk. "Remember," she says as she opens the door, "Arianna is with your Mom now. I was supposed to meet her at the coffee shop in an hour. So, you can pick her up there. Thanks again, Will."

Once again plans for a quiet weekend to myself - ruined. At least Gabi is predictable. I should have known better than to get concert tickets for tomorrow night, considering she's backed out the last 4 times she promised she'd spend the weekend with Arianna. Poor baby. Well, I'll have to make it up to her and treat her to something special.

Walking into the coffee shop, I spot my crazy brown-haired daughter sitting at the counter with my Mom. They both appear to be enjoying rather large cups of something, probably hot cocoa, since Arianna is sporting a well-defined chocolate mustache. "Daddy!" she exclaims when she sees me. My Mom looks at me knowingly, as if she expected to see me instead of Gabi.

"Hi my princess! Are you having fun with Grammy Sami?" I love teasing my Mom about being a grandmother. She wants Arianna to just call her Sami, but I'll have none of it. She is Arianna's grandma and therefore should be proud of the title.

"Yes, Daddy. She let me get hot chocolate with extra whipped cream like I had the other day. She even ordered one, too!" Arianna thinks this is quite funny and giggles loudly as she pulls me over to the counter, onto the stool right next to her. "Will you stay here with us until Mommy comes to get me?" Guess it was way too much of me to hope that she would forget about this Mommy-Daughter weekend they had planned.

"Arianna, actually honey, I have some bad news." I am looking at her as she runs her tongue around the edge of the cup, not wanting to miss one drop of chocolate.

"She's not coming, is she." Arianna says this so matter-of-factly that I start to feel tears pricking at the corner of my eyes. Dammit, Gabi! Why did I always have to be the one to tell her? Why was I always breaking her heart for you?

"Yes, and I'm sorry and so is your Mom. She has to work all weekend and couldn't get away."

"That's okay, Daddy. It'll just be you and me again, right? Can we go to the playground?" It's amazing to me how she can bounce back like that. She seems a little hurt, but not crushed, devastated, like I feel. Thank goodness my daughter is so resilient. Thank goodness I have her in my life. "There's Sonny!" she all of a sudden yells, pointing at the back of the store. "We are wearing the same shoes again today!"

"Yes we are, Arianna, but I do have to say that I like what you are wearing today better than what I have on." He smiles at me as we both take in the sight that is my daughter: purple hoodie, orange leggings, green socks and red converse tennis shoes. She did have her favorite red bow in her hair though, so I gave her just a tiny bit of credit for something on her outfit matching. Her adorableness is unmistakeable though, even if she almost resembles a bag of skittles. I laugh at her as she takes in Sonny's clothes, looking very serious as she evaluates his choice.

"I think you should have worn more purple. And green." She returns happily to her mug of cocoa as Sonny and I chuckle at her fashion advice.

"Noted," Sonny says as he smiles at me, brown eyes holding my blue ones a bit longer than I expect. "It's good to see you again, Will, can I get you a cup of coffee? No room for cream, right?" He remembered. My stomach and heart both do a little tap dance thinking about the fact that he's served probably over a hundred customers this week and still manages to recall my drink of choice. Maybe I'm reading more into it, but I like to think that it means he's thought about me, too.

"Will, you are here early. I wasn't supposed to meet Gabi for another half hour." My Mom decides to join the conversation then. Figures, just as gorgeous coffee guy and I are rekindling our exists-only-in-my-mind relationship.

"Yeah, I was in the area, so I thought I'd come by early to spend time with the both of you." Sure, that was it. Keep telling yourself that and you might start to believe it. Honestly, my early arrival has a lot more to do with my hope of a chance Sonny-sighting than getting some quality Mother, Son, Granddaughter time.

"That's nice of you, Will," my Mom says as she looks at her watch. Sonny sets my cup of coffee in front of me and steps away from the bar to clear some tables. "Actually, would it be okay if I took off a little early? I'm meeting EJ for dinner and would love to change before I go. Do you mind?"

"No, Mom, you go ahead," and I really did mean it. If she stays, I'd have to try and maintain a conversation with her while daydreaming about Sonny...and how I'd like to help him with that inventory in back. I wouldn't mind holding onto those hips to steady him as he climbs the ladder to reach the higher shelves. In fact, I wouldn't mind climbing that ladder, even though I'm terrified of heights, if it meant he would hold onto my hips to keep me steady.

"Will!" I snap out of Sonny-land to hear my Mom trying to get my attention. "Earth to Will! I'm leaving now, okay? Good-bye," and she squints her eyes at me slightly, like maybe she knows where my mind has been, and kisses Arianna on the head before leaving.

"Bye Grammy Sami!" Arianna shouts at her, spitting some whipped cream from her mouth as she does.

"Arianna Grace!" I say embarrassed as I clean up the spray now covering the counter in front of her.

"Don't worry about it, Will," and Sonny is back, and he goes to work on the sticky area right in front of my daughter.

"Are you about finished now, Arianna?" I peek into her mug to see almost all of her hot chocolate gone. "Because we have to stop at the store to pick up a few things for dinner." I take a napkin and attempt to wipe away her mustache.

"Do you want to use this?" Sonny asks, wetting a fresh cloth for me.

"Yeah, thanks so much. She really gets into drinking her hot chocolate! I don't know how she manages to get it all over herself!" I laugh at Arianna, who is now trying to follow the wet cloth around her lips with her tongue. "Arianna, stop it!" Sonny and I are both laughing at her now, and I give up trying to clean her anymore. "Okay, honey, let's go. What do you say to Sonny?"

"Thank you, Sonny!" she says cheerfully, enunciating each word for me.  
I turn to say good-bye to him, and he surprises me with an invitation. "Hey, maybe if you two are free tomorrow, you can stop by again? Hot cocoa and coffee will be my treat if you teach me how to improve my checkers game."

Before I can even respond, Arianna accepts for us. "Sure, Sonny!" and then remembering she should probably check in, she glances at me apologetically. "Can we please, Daddy?"

Not only is my daughter almost impossible to resist, but also the idea of spending a little more time with Sonny is extremely appealing on its own. Considering those two factors, there is no way I could possibly say 'no'. Waving our good-byes, Arianna and I leave for the evening, off to do our shopping for the weekend. As if reading my mind, Arianna says to me very sincerely, "I like Sonny, Daddy. I can't wait to see him tomorrow." Ditto, my dear daughter, ditto.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ampersands dedicated to Mike.**

It's hard to be too mad at Gabi right now. As Arianna and I walk through the grocery store, picking up a few things we need, my thoughts drift back to the coffee shop. And to Sonny. And how freakin good he is with Arianna. And how I feel like I could stare into those beautiful brown eyes forever. His invitation for Arianna and I to come back to see him tomorrow wouldn't have happened if Gabi hadn't cancelled. I won't go as far as saying I am grateful she bailed on our daughter, but I will say that perhaps the parenting gods are finally smiling down on me.

**(&(&(&)&)&)**

"Is it time to go do coffee yet, Daddy?" this is possibly the 20th time Arianna has asked me since she woke this morning. I look at the clock: 10:30am. Even though Sonny didn't give us a specific time, I still feel like it is a bit early for us to go. I don't want to seem too eager to see him. But I am. Actually, I can't wait and truthfully I find myself being just about as impatient (on the inside, of course) as my daughter. What is this, a high school crush? I wonder to myself. I suppose maybe it is kind of like that for me. I was dating Gabi in high school. She got pregnant our first year in college, and we married that same year before Arianna was born. So, all I've had is school-boy crushes. I haven't ever acted - or even had the opportunity to act - on any of those feelings.

"Not yet, honey," I say to her as she sits in the living room playing with a Barbie, now with short spiky hair thanks to Arianna's recent fascination with scissors.

"Oh," she sighs, bummed one again at my response. "Could you come play with me then, Daddy? Or can I paint?" There's that resiliency again. Wish I could recover from disappointment that quickly.

"Sure, what would you like to do more - play dolls with me or paint?" I ask her tentatively, suspecting that I might have a play date with spiky-haired Barbie in my near future.

"Daddy, I think I want to paint." She surprises me with this decision, but I am more than happy to oblige. Arianna is really good at playing by herself, and I'm very grateful for her independence. Don't get me wrong, I love playing with my daughter - nothing else gives me quite as much joy; but there are times when I really just want to read or catch up on a TV show, and I forfeit those wants for Arianna. It's what parents do. Or are supposed to do. Well, it's what I do. And her smile and laughter never, ever leave me regretting my sacrifice.

Once she's set up in front of her easel, wearing one of my old t-shirts, I grab my iPad and relax on the couch, feet up. I catch up on Facebook, Twitter and some of my other favorite blog sites. Just when I'm about to watch an episode of 'Game of Thrones', I get an IM from Sam: 'are we still on for the show tonight dude? Pick you up at 7!'

Shit! I completely forgot to tell him that I can't go tonight. Quickly messaging him back, I apologize profusely and offer to still pay for the ticket regardless of who he gets to go with him. I don't think he's all that disappointed, though, since he started dating this girl, Lucy, after we decided to see this show together. Now he can ask her to go with him. Great. So happy I can help yet another person get lucky.

Two hours later, I call to Arianna that it's time to go. She squeals with excitement and comes running out with one of her paintings in hand. "What's that, pumpkin? Did you paint something for me?"

"Nope. I painted something for Sonny." If her affection for Sonny came at the price of my own, well then I was willing to accept the rejection. She holds up her painting and it takes my breath away. At the top she has written "To Sunny" and painted a very big, very bright yellow sun in the sky. At the bottom she has drawn two people - one much shorter than the other - both sporting red converse tennis shoes, and another person with glasses, big hair, and the word 'Daddy' painted above him.

"Wow, sweetie. This is beautiful. Who is in your painting?" Arianna looks at me and rolls her eyes. I can guess who is in it, but I want to hear it from her. I want her to tell me about this lovely only-in-my-dreams family portrait.

"Well, there is you," she says pointing annoyingly at the one marked 'Daddy', "and this is me and Sonny. We have the red shoes on. And the sun is bright like Sonny's smile."

My voice catches in my throat, and I have to clear it before I am able to speak again. "Arianna, that is one of the most beautiful paintings I've ever seen. I know that Sonny will love it."

"Of course he will, Daddy. Now can we go?"

Arriving at Common Grounds, Arianna skips her way to the counter as I look around nervously, not sure what to expect. A woman behind the bar greets us and asks to take our order.

"Me and my Daddy are doing coffee," Arianna offers, to the barista's amusement.

"Oh, so two coffees then?" the woman looks from my daughter to me.

"No!" Arianna corrects her immediately. "I would like hot chocolate with extra whipped cream, please."

"I'll take a cup of coffee, please, no room." I pause to watch Arianna as she hops from her stool to go find the checkers game. "She thinks 'doing coffee' doesn't mean literally, but she likes to pretend that she understands our adult-speak." I smile at the barista behind the bar as she pours my coffee and prepares Arianna's hot cocoa.

"Daddy, I have the checkers game all set up. Where is Sonny?" she inquires, looking around the coffee shop.

"I don't know honey, I'm sure he's around here somewhere."

"Actually," our barista interrupts, "Sonny had a family emergency and had to go home. He left about 45 minutes ago. I don't even know if he's coming back today, since he asked if I could close for him."

My heart sinks just as quickly as Arianna's smile disappears. "But he said he'd play checkers with me," she pouts and looks as if tears might be on their way.

"Sweetie, let's just wait here a little while for him. Maybe he'll be back soon. We can enjoy our drinks and practice playing checkers, so we can beat him when he gets here, okay?" That seems to pacify her enough, and she dances back over to the table she selected. The one with the red chairs.

"Daddy, c'mon!" she calls to me impatiently, and I bring our drinks to the table. She delves in, nose first, covering it with whipped cream. She giggles and smiles at me, trying to lick the cream from her nose with her tongue. It's not working. But it's cute watching her try.

One hour, five games of checkers, and two refills of coffee later, we still haven't seen Sonny. I can tell Arianna is getting antsy, she's building stacks of checkers, alternating colors, and knocking them down.

"Okay, honey, I think we should go. I'm sure Sonny is sad to have missed you, but he must have had something really important going on instead. We'll come back another day, okay?" Arianna looks at me with her bright blue eyes and grabs my hand.

"I'm sure Sonny is sad to have missed you, too, Daddy." She has no clue how wonderful that sounds to me. She has no idea how badly I want that to be true. But by now, I've gotten used to guys walking away from my pre-made family situation. It's a lot to take in, and I have come to accept that this is my life. I just hope that one day the right guy will be ready for us. Until then, I have my baby girl, and she fills my heart enough for now.

"What do you say we go to a movie? They are running 'Brave' at the theater down from our house. You can get popcorn and sour patch kids...wanna' go?" I'm compensating for both her Mom and Sonny. I'm so tired of my daughter being let down.

"Yeah!" she celebrates and her mood is instantly changed. Once again, I wish I could recover that fast.

As I'm getting Arianna buckled into her booster seat, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to see Sonny, face flushed, out of breath, looking like he just ran across the square to find us. "Sonny!" my daughter screams when he pokes his head in her door.

"I"m so sorry, Arianna! My uncle wasn't feeling well, and he needed me to take him to the hospital. Really, Will," now he is looking at me, "I'm sorry I missed you at the shop." He eyes stare into mine deeply, conveying without words his disappointment at having missed our checkers date.

"It's okay, Sonny, please don't worry. I just hope your uncle is doing okay now." Whether or not I believe the ailing uncle story I'm not sure, but I want Sonny to know that I understand why he didn't show. "I understand, Sonny. You have a busy life, a coffee shop to run, and I'm sure lots more important things to do than play checkers with a 5 year old and her Dad."

Sonny's face fell, and I saw his expression turn to one of hurt and sadness. "Will, you need to know that I want to spend time with you and Arianna. If I didn't have to take my Uncle Vic to the hospital, I'd have been there for checkers, I promise."

"See Daddy," Arianna chooses this time to speak up again, "he promises." I can't help but smile at her innocence. "Sonny, we are going to see the movie 'Brave' and I am getting popcorn and sour patch kids. Do you want to come with us?"

I quickly step in, "honey, that is nice of you to offer, but I'm sure Sonny has to work tonight." I turn to him and shake my head, "she's a little excited about the movie, so we'd better get going. Good to see you again, Sonny," and I shut Arianna's car door and open mine.

"Will, I don't have to work tonight," Sonny says softly, biting his lower lip. For some reason I find that terribly sexy. Maybe because I want to be the one biting that lip. "I'd like to go to the movie with you two, if Arianna's invite still stands?"

I am stunned and stand there for a moment with my mouth open, trying to speak. "Re-really?"

"Yes, really. I am actually ready to go now if you want to drive?" he looks at me expectantly, and my heart starts racing 100 miles per hour.

As Sonny climbs into the car, Arianna cannot contain her excitement. "I knew you would come with us Sonny! My Daddy said you'd have to work, but I know you'd rather see 'Brave' with me. My grandma says I remind her of the girl in the movie. She's strong and nin-de-pen-dent. Oh, and I painted you a picture..." and she proceeds to talk Sonny's ear off the entire way to the theater.

Armed with a tub of popcorn, several sodas and sour patch kids, we head into the theater to find seats. Much to my disappointment Sonny goes in first, followed by Arianna and then me. So much for hoping to brush a leg or a hand up against Sonny accidentally during the movie. The seating arrangement sure makes Arianna happy as she sits in between us, large bucket in her lap, swinging her feet as she shoves handfuls of popcorn into her mouth. Despite being slightly envious of my daughter's closeness to Sonny, I am thrilled to see her so carefree and just as thrilled to see the ease with which Sonny interacts with her. This is almost too much for me. I am feeling hopeful, excited, nervous. I don't know what to do in a situation like this. I've never had the opportunity before.

Halfway through the movie, I see Arianna's eyes start to close. I'm not surprised she's tired. She spent an awful lot of energy trying to wait patiently for Sonny. I grab the tub of popcorn from her just as it's almost ready to fall out of her hands. Sonny glances over at me and Arianna, smiles when he sees that she's fallen asleep and covers her gently with his coat. Right about now I'm passed thrilled; passed hopeful and on my way to ecstatic. This man has got to be too good to be true. I can't possibly be this fortunate, can I?

The credits roll, and Sonny and I get up to stretch. I start to lean over to pick Arianna up when Sonny reaches down and grabs her first. He lifts her easily into his arms and settles her head comfortably on his shoulder, not waking her. I follow him numbly from the theater and out to my car, where he is able to get her into her booster seat impressively, once again without waking her.

"You are good, man," I say teasingly, trying to fill the space Arianna's childish banter usually does.

Sonny just smiles, closes the car door quietly and takes a step closer to me. My breathing is shallow and I can't meet his eyes.

"Will, I really like Arianna. And I really like you." His candidness shocks me, and I look up, blushing at his admission. With a confidence I will never possess, Sonny reaches his hand up to my cheek and brushes his thumb gently against my skin. It burns hotly under his touch, and I feel like I'm going to pass out. Once I meet his eyes, Sonny leans in to kiss me softly on the lips. It's electric, this kiss, his lips are firm but so gentle. I start to move my lips against his and reach an arm around his waist. He holds us there for a moment, neither one of us wanting to break the connection. He moves his thumb from my cheek to my lips and his focus is there, on my mouth, watching me breathe.

In a split second we move hastily back to each other, lips crushing this time, foregoing the sweetness for passion and desire. My hand goes to the back of his head into his hair, and I dig my fingers in, relishing the sensation of his course, dark locks now in my grip. Without being able to control myself, I let out a hushed moan and pull suddenly away. I'm getting too carried away. I don't want to stop, but I have to. It's not right to get involved with someone when I'm in the middle of a divorce.

"S-s-sonny, I'm sorry," I stumble over myself. "I just don't know if I can do this right now."

"I understand, Will. You don't have to explain." Sonny smiles at me kindly and shifts his hands from my face to my shoulders. "But you have to know that I like you...a lot. And I think you feel the same way about me."

Nodding, I acknowledge the truth. "I do," I whisper so quietly he's barely able to hear me. I tear my hands from his hair and my gaze from his and swallow loudly, motioning to the passenger's side of my car. Once we are both in, I start to speak. "Sonny, I like you, yes, but my life is so complicated now, I don't imagine you want to get involved in this." I am sad at this statement and hope that he'll contradict me, tell me he does want to get involved. But he doesn't.

"Will, you need to do what you have to for your family. And if this is too much for you now, well, then we might just have to be friends."

Defeated, I scream "no, no, no" in my head and feel tears filling my eyes. Blinking away, I say the opposite of what I feel, "Sure, Sonny, thanks. I think that is what I need right now."

"Okay, Will. But I'd still like to spend time with you and Arianna. I have a lot of fun with you two."

"Sounds good to me," I reply, driving him back to Common Grounds, where his car is parked.

As I pull into Horton Square's parking lot I am overwhelmed with the need to tell him that I really don't want to be friends, that I am incredibly attracted to him, but am so scared of getting hurt. And of Arianna getting hurt in the process. I quickly dismiss this compulsion and wait in silence as Sonny gets out of the car and walks to my open window. "Thank you Will," he says sincerely, "I really did have a great time. Maybe I'll see you at the shop soon?"

"Maybe," I smile at him, taking one last look at the beautiful man standing before me, memorizing every detail so I can remember what I'm going to be missing. Sonny makes it down the path to the coffee shop and gives a quick wave before disappearing inside. "Bye, Sonny," I say only to myself. "I had a lot of fun, too." I shift my car into Drive and head home, because I have daughter to carry to bed and put to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

I walk into Common Grounds for the first time in weeks without Arianna along. It is clear to everyone – even my 5 year old daughter – that I am avoiding this place. It's really no secret why I'm doing it, but I guess I also don't expect Sonny to call me on it as soon as I walk in the door.

"Hi, Will, can I talk to you?" No polite small talk for him. Let's cut to the chase. I already feel like a schmuck.

"Ummm….sure. Is there somewhere a little more private we can go?" I knew that I was going to have to deal with this eventually, but it didn't keep me from wanting to avoid discussing it in front of half of Salem.

I follow him to the back where I presume his office is only to find the door closed and someone already inside. "Must be Chad, my business partner, he has some meetings scheduled this week." He pauses to think for a moment, "Let's go into the store room," he leads me through a heavy red door into a room filled with boxes piled as high as the ceiling. I follow closely behind him and inhale nervously; it smells wonderfully of fresh roasted coffee and Sonny's natural spicy scent. To me it is perhaps the best smell on earth. Other than Arianna right out of her bath…I love the smell of my child when she's clean.  
"It's not as private as the office but at least we're not visible to the entire town in here," he brings me back to the task at hand.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," I tell him quietly, shifting from foot to foot. "Ever since Gabi got pregnant and I married her even after I came out, pretty much everyone considers my business to be theirs, too. For once I'd like to have a conversation with someone without my Mom hearing about it before I even get home." My smile is thin and tense. I am not looking forward to this talk. What I really want to do is run out the door and disappear into the square. But for the last couple of weeks, that is exactly what I've been doing. And it's time to face the music. At some point I do have to deal with my feelings. And Sonny's deserves the truth.

His phone suddenly buzzes, and he has to run up front for a minute. He excuses himself and I start exploring the different areas of the store room, checking the content of various palettes and opened boxes.

"What are you doing back here, Will? Snooping?" Sonny's back, and he teases me for being curious.

"I suppose I am," I grin at him, happy he's lightened the mood a little. "Sonny, I need to apologize to you…" and before I have the words completely out of my mouth, he's in front of me, standing only inches away. He's so close that I can hear each breath, and I'm pleased that his sound as ragged and edgy as my own.

"I can't stop thinking about our kiss, Will. I know you said your life is too messed up to be anything but friends right now, but I'm not sure I can. Every time I see you I want to take you into my arms and do this," and his lips are on mine, his body flush with mine, his hands holding mine up above my head and against the wall. He trails kisses down my neck and into the v-neck of my sweater, and I start shivering uncontrollably. I'm moaning into his mouth, opening slightly to allow his eager tongue entry. My body is tingling, on fire, and I know that I've never before felt this alive and wanted.

I turn the tables on him and soon I've got him tight to the wall, my hands on his keeping them pinned above us. "Oh God, Will, you feel so f***ing amazing! Please Don't Stop!" It's not a request, it's a demand.

It's my turn to explore, and I nibble my way over to his ear, nudging his head up a bit more with my nose. I grab a hold of his ear lobe and pull it between my teeth before my tongue darts into his ear. I pull it out quickly and move behind his ear, to the tender spot against his hairline. Nipping gently, rolling my tongue over fresh bite marks, I whisper to him, "You are so hot, Sonny, please let me undress you…I need to see and touch your body."

I think Sonny is flabbergasted, not expecting me to be this bold with my desires. His breath catches and he mewls achingly. "Yes, please Will, touch me…" and I release his hands to work on the buttons of his shirt. As I get each one undone, I place a kiss on his newly exposed chest. I rest my palms on his waist when I'm finished and slide my hands around to his back. His skin is smooth and warm, and I can't stop my hands from moving up and then down inside the waistband of his jeans. His ass feels amazing, and I squeeze so the tips of my middle fingers just reach his crevice. Then he is lifting my sweater over my head haphazardly, catching my nose and ears in the neckline. Once it's off, we shift so our chests are firmly together, stomach on stomach, pecs on pecs, nipples grazing each others. This is heaven and I'm so overcome with lust that I break our kiss and reach for his belt buckle. He murmurs against my temple, "Yes, Will, I want you so bad..."

"Will, Will...did you hear me?"

Shit. I'm pulled violently from my erotic daydream, and I try to focus on Sonny, who is waiting for a response from me. Not Sonny kissing me, caressing my face, taking my clothes off, telling me he wants me with his eyes, this is Sonny squinting at me puzzled and I believe he's just a bit irritated, too. Serious buzz kill. Shit.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking about something Gabi said to me this morning, and I didn't completely hear you." I'm floundering, and I hope it's not that obvious where my mind has been.

"That's why I wanted to talk to you," he sighs heavily and starts again. "I know that you and Gabi are in the midst of a separation..."

"Ummm...no, I've officially filed for divorce now," I want to set the record straight.

"Okay, well, you two are in the middle of a divorce then, but I keep seeing her here with the same guy all the time. I think they work together. And, um, they don't seem to be shy about hanging all over each other. I see customers stare and I get embarrassed for her. I don't mind PDA, but this is kind of obscene." Sonny glances at me nervously, making sure his news doesn't shock or anger me.

Running fingers through my hair, I shrug and bite my cheek. "I suppose I knew it would happen eventually, I just hoped we'd be open with each other about it...we've always tried to keep communicating, even when things between us sucked. At least for Arianna's sake."

He looked at me with sad brown eyes, and all I wanted was for him to hold me, comfort me. It wasn't because I was so devastated by Gabi's secret relationship, it was because I so naively stopped anything from happening with Sonny until we're divorced for fear of impropriety. While Gabi comes in daily to Common Grounds, has her hands all over some guy from work, and doesn't hesitate to flaunt him in front of the whole town.

"It's okay, Will. She's the one who looks silly, always giggling loudly and pawing at him." He puts his hand on my arm and slides it up to rest on my shoulder. It's not the embrace I hope for, but it is a terribly sweet gesture.

"Gosh, I've been such an idiot!" I finally can't hold my frustration back any longer. "How could I not see this, especially with all the times she cancelled her weekend with Arianna?" I'm clenching my fist and my jaw. I'm not as much hurt as I am disappointed, mostly in myself for believing Gabi's lies, allowing her to make a complete fool out of me. I shake my head and look at Sonny, feeling so ridiculous.

"Will, you are not an idiot," he tells me softly, stepping closer to put his other hand on the opposite shoulder. "You have been nothing but up front with her, you were a total gentleman with me, and you've done it all so Arianna doesn't get confused before your divorce is final. I think it's amazing how much you love your daughter. And honestly, it is one of the things I find most attractive about you." Sonny meets my eyes, and I see truth in his expression; he's so intense, it's so easy for me to see right now.

"Hmph!" I grunt in disagreement. "I should never have led you on Sonny if I wasn't ready for more than friendship. I have hardly been a gentleman with you. I just..."

"You just what, Will?" Sonny encourages me to continue, his voice a little breathy.

"I just really like you, and for the first time I'm having these feelings I never have before...I think about you when I'm at work, I dream about you at night..." I'm rambling and I can't stop.

Another one of Sonny's amazing smiles spreads across his face, and he takes one more step towards me. "You dream about me, do ya?" His smile is now a smirk, and I find him even more irresistible.

"How 'bout I just humiliate myself completely now? I'm gay, married to a woman, that woman is cheating on me in front of the whole world, and I'm in your store room confessing to you that I dream about you every night...it doesn't get more embarrassing than that, hah? Anything else I should tell you? How about the time some kids at school held me down and circled the crotch of my pants with permanent marker and chanted "fee Willy" all day? Or maybe the time I walked in on my mom and dad having sex? Have I given you enough of a reason to steer clear of me? I always seem to mess things ups - sometimes by being too weak and other times by acting too confident. I can't win for losing."

"Will, do you really see yourself like that? Because I don't at all." I glance at him dejectedly. "This is how I see you - you are kind, amazingly gentle and patient with your daughter, have the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen, and I find myself wondering frequently during the day where you are, what you're doing, if you're going to stop into the shop today." Sonny licks his lips and takes yet another step closer to me. "I'm not used to feeling like this, and I mean that, you are different than other guys I've dated, Will, in a good way. It scares me a little, but not as much as it intrigues me, and I want to see a lot more of you."

I can't pull my eyes from his, it's like we're having a stare down, both of us winning. "Wow," I swallow and offer a slight smile of relief, "and here I thought you must hate me...and think I'm the biggest jerk on the face of the earth."

"Nah, not the whole earth at least," he teases, and we chuckle in spite of ourselves. It gets quiet again.

"Sonny, I meant what I said earlier, both about having feelings for you and being kind of messed up right now. If I follow my heart, and well, some other various parts of my body, I won't be able to stay away from you. But it's my head that gets in the way, the one on top of my shoulders, and it keeps yanking me from my fantasy world back into reality. And the reality is that I'm a married man, going through a not-so-pretty divorce and raising a 5 year old child. Not exactly man of your dreams material."

"Will, you have never kept your life secret from me. And I like you because of who you are, and I accept your situation...I'm going into this with my eyes wide open."

"Into this? What exactly is this?" I ask anxiously, hopefully.

"I'm not sure yet, Will, but I know that I need to keep spending time with you, getting to know you better. And I adore Arianna and want to spend more time with her, too. Will, it's about time you let someone treat you well for a change. You sacrifice so much for your daughter, you deserve to be happy, to feel cherished, to be loved." I'm starting to get a little emotional and a tear escapes and falls down my cheek. As I lift my hand to brush it away, Sonny grabs that hand and brings it to his heart, using his other hand to wipe away my tear. "Let me try to do that for you, Will, please?"

I can't answer. I can't speak: he has completely befuddled me. Knowing any words I try to say won't be quite enough, I use the hand he has pressed against his chest to grab onto his shirt and pull him to me. Watching his eyes and then his lips as he draws nearer, I move a hand to his hair and brush my lips against his. It's not deep and wanting, it's not desperate or probing or even timid; this kiss is incredible. It's a kiss dreams are made of; it's full of adoration, passion and promise.

"We'll still need to take this kind of slow...is that okay?" I ask sincerely after we break from our embrace.

"Absolutely," he responds nodding. "This is going to sound corny, I know, but I happen to think you are worth the wait."

"Thank you, Sonny, for being patient with me. It means a lot, and I'm excited to see more of you, too. I'm sure Arianna will be happy...she's been asking about you every single day!"

"The girl has great taste, what can I say?" he jokes grabbing my hand and pulling me to the door leading back out into the coffee shop. "Oh, and did Gabi give you some sort of clue this morning?" he asks looking back at me as we head to a table near the bar.

"What?" I have no idea what he's talking about.

"Earlier, when I was calling your name, you know when I came back into the store room and your mind was somewhere else? You told me you were thinking about something Gabi said to you this morning. Did it have anything to do with what I told you?"

"Oh that," feeling a bit brazen, I don't even hesitate before I confess. "I fibbed. I wasn't thinking about Gabi when you walked back in. I was daydreaming about you."

He raises his eyebrows in genuine surprise, "Are you serious, Will?" And that spectacular smile is back, lighting up the room and melting my heart. "You gonna' tell me about it?" he goads me.

"Nope. I think I'm going to keep that dreamy tryst all to myself, thank you very much. It was pretty amazing though...you really liked my tattoo...and the piercing really enhances pleasure..." I can't help but laugh as his eyes get wider.

"Tattoo, hah..." he stutters, looking me over as if he's trying to figure out where that tattoo might be. "...and a piercing...wow." He's speechless.

"Yep. And I know it will be a while before you get to see them, but I really appreciate your willingness to take things slow. We'll take our time, right?" I am enjoying this torture immensely.

"Sure, Will. Yeah, slow, okay," he nods his head, still deeply in thought. "I didn't think you were the tattoo-body piercing kind of guy. I find this information about you very interesting...and sexy."

"I thought you might," I say winking at him, looking up at the menu on the wall. "I'll take a cup of coffee and a cinnamon streusel muffin please. No room."

"Well played, Will. I guess I'm just going to have leave the rest up to my imagination for now." He's sulking a little, and it's pretty cute.

"I guess so. It seems to work for me..." and I can see that he's more intrigued than perturbed. I flash him a smile. "Now, how about that coffee and muffin?"


	5. Chapter 5

I can barely open my eyes, they feel glued shut. Man, I must be totally wiped out because my head hurts, too. Did I drink last night? I eventually blink enough to pry my lids open, and I squint, trying to focus on my surroundings. I don't recognize anything around me until I spot Sonny. Meeting his eyes, I think to myself how good it is to wake up to this man. Last night must have really been something.

"Will!" he's standing away from the bed a bit, so I can't completely see his face. "I'm so glad you are up!" Despite how adorable he is, his cheerfulness is just a bit too much for me to handle right now. I try to speak. "No, Will, don't say anything...you don't have to. I just want look into those beautiful blue eyes of yours." He leans over and places a gentle kiss on my lips. He feels amazing, and I can see such kindness and attentiveness in those big brown eyes.

"Wow," I am finally able to speak, voice hoarse and a bit sore, "we sure must have had some night together...what have you done to m-"

"Daddy!" This is getting stranger by the minute...first I wake up in a foreign place and see Sonny, the man I have been dating for a month but have not completely done the deed with yet, at my bedside, and just as I'm expecting to hear about the amazing night we've had, my daughter shows up. Not exactly how I had pictured the afterglow of our first time together.

"Will, how are you feeling?" the voice is Gabi's, and now I know for sure that this can't be what I've imagined it to be. Unless I'm dreaming, or rather, having a nightmare, considering both my ex-wife and 5 year old daughter seem to be present in the moments just following the first time my boyfriend and I make love.

"Yeah, Daddy, how are you feeling?" Arianna leans her head on my arm, and I try to lift my hand to stroke her hair, but I can't.

I'm really messed up now, I don't know what is real and what isn't, and the worst part is that I can't remember anything about how I got here. "Okay, someone needs to tell me what the hell is going on," Arianna's eyes get round at my harsh words, and she looks nervously at Sonny. "Please, someone, I don't know where I am and can't remember how I got here. And my head is pounding; I feel like I got hit by a Mack truck." I try to shake my head in frustration, but I'm unable to do that either.

Arianna gasps, "then you do kind of know what happened, Daddy, because you did get hit! And you got knocked out. I couldn't wake you up. I was scared, Daddy." Her eyes start to fill with tears, and I know with certainty now that my soreness, my confusion, my exhaustion, isn't from a night filled with passionate love-making. It's from something not pleasurable at all.

Sonny sees my eyebrows knitting together and my mouth start to move, a question on my lips, but he doesn't let me get there. "Will, don't talk, the Dr. says to take it slowly." I raise my eyebrows almost into my hairline. My Doctor? What? "Will...just listen. I'll tell you everything."

"Daddy, can I sit up on the bed with you?" she is already trying to throw a leg over the side of the bed.

Gabi is quick to scold her, "No, Arianna! Your Daddy is hurt, please let him rest." Arianna stops climbing and looks at her apologetically.

"Oh, Gabi, let her get up here with me. It's okay. I just need some help because I'm not really able to move that well yet." Seeing Gabi's face scrunch up with worry, I have to reassure her, "Gabi, really, I want to snuggle with my daughter, please?" Gabi lifts Arianna into the bed as Sonny raises my arm carefully to fit around her as she settles in at my side.

"All right, Will, let's start with earlier today..." Sonny begins.

"I'm snuggling with my Daddy!" Arianna interrupts proudly. "I'll protect him from the story." I squeeze her, as much as I can, and kiss the top of her head. I meet Sonny's eyes and implore him, without words, to tell me exactly what happened.

"Earlier today, you and Arianna stopped by the coffee shop. I opened, so I ended up taking off before noon to accompany you and Arianna to the park. Even though it's still a bit chilly and a lot of the park is muddy, Arianna was feeling antsy, so you wanted to go so she could let off some steam. Before you even got your car parked, Arianna spotted a kite in the air, and we decided to go find who was flying it. A man and his two sons, twins about Arianna's age, were masterfully flying this gorgeous purple and green kite."

"Yeah, Daddy," Arianna adds, looking up at me sincerely, "it was so pretty!"

"You're right Arianna, it was really pretty," Sonny is so kind in acknowledging my daughter's need to be in this conversation, too. "So, we said 'hello' and started asking him about kite flying. After a while, he let one of his sons fly the kite, and so it wasn't too much later that Arianna asked if she could try." He puts his hand on Arianna's hair and tucks a stray piece back behind her ear. "We helped her a little at first, but then she was flying that kite all by herself! Arianna, I think you are a natural," Sonny says grinning at her.

Very seriously, Arianna responds, "I think I am, too. It wasn't easy, though, and then the accident happened..."

"Yes, it did Arianna," he looks at her skeptically, making sure she is okay to continue talking about this. "A huge gust of wind took the kite and landed it up in one of the park's trees near the bike trail entrance. True to your stubborn nature," Sonny says teasingly to me, "you climb the tree to get the kite down. You - the guy who is terrified of heights - decide to climb a tree and me - a fearless mountain climber - I am relegated to the ground because you won't let me help you." Sonny shakes his head, remembering, and runs a hand through his own hair.

"I offered to climb a tree?" I manage to ask.

"Yes, Daddy, you were really brave."

"The tree wasn't all that tall, the line just got a little tangled, but you wouldn't get down until that kite was in the air again. As soon as it was, you jumped down from the bottom branch and at the exact same moment, a group of bikers entered the park. You landed in their path and not being able to stop, they plowed right into you. Three of the seven actually hit you while they were going at a pretty fast clip. He paused to swallow, checking in again with me and Arianna to make sure we are okay. I nod for him to continue. "Even though they were just bicycles, the hit was hard and you kind of went flying a few feet. By the time Arianna and I got to you, the bikers had all stopped and were administering some first aid to a large gash on your forehead."

"So, I thanked them profusely, and they left once you came too and appeared to be fine...well, other than a few scrapes and bruises."

"Uh huh," Arianna chimed in once again, "you got up and walked with us to the car, Daddy." She grabbed one of my hands and held tightly onto it. "But in the car, Daddy, you fell back to sleep."

"I couldn't wake you this time, so I headed right for the Emergency Room. Apparently them hitting you and you hitting the ground did quite a number on your brain, and you have a concussion. They took a scan, which appears to be fine, but because you keep drifting in and out of consciousness, they decided to keep you for observation. That was about four hours ago. So, I called Gabi and told her what happened and asked if she could come to the hospital to pick Arianna up."

"But," Gabi chimes in, "your daughter, who apparently inherited her Dad's stubbornness, refused to leave until she saw you wake up. They are going to keep you overnight, just to watch you more closely to ensure your head injury isn't worse than it looks." She shifts her gaze from mine to Arianna's, who is still snuggled in my arms in the hospital bed. "Arianna Grace, since your Daddy is up now, let's go home so he can get some rest."

"No," Arianna says angrily, "I don't want to. I want to stay longer." She is adamant and clings to me even tighter. "Why can't I stay here with Sonny?"

"Arianna, I'm sure Sonny has to get back to work, too, just like Mommy does. So our neighbor, Shelly, the one you like playing Barbie's with, can watch you until I get home." Gabi reaches towards Arianna, who just cowers and gives her Mom a very unpleasant look.

"Actually, Gabi, I'm off the rest of today, and I don't work until 2pm tomorrow. I could actually watch her if you wanted? I really wouldn't mind at all. And she could stay here at the hospital with Will a little longer." Sonny bites his lip, unsure of how Gabi will react to his offer. There he goes again doing that lip thing, the one that drives me crazy and makes me want to tackle him and grab that lip with MY teeth. But even something as wonderful as that feels, it is far too ambitious for me. I can barely even twitch a finger, let alone successfully seduce my boyfriend. Bummer. I do love his lips though.

"Really, Sonny, that's a lot to ask of you! She may be cute, but she is a handful, trust me!" I go for humor instead. Meeting his eyes directly, I speak to him softly, "You don't have to, Sonny, our neighbor can watch her."

Just then, Arianna decides to weigh in. "I want to go to Sonny's house, please, please, please!" she says to me firmly, reaching over to grab Sonny's hand. "I want to go with someone who likes my Daddy." And if that isn't a telltale sign of what my life has become with Gabi, then I don't know what is. I'm truly in awe at her audacity but at the same time am secretly beaming at how much my daughter is smitten with Sonny.

Confirming with Sonny one more time, "yes, Will, of course she can stay the night with me," I look at Gabi who is taken aback and even looks a bit relieved, I might add. I smile at him knowing that this means he's sticking around for awhile - at the hospital and in this relationship with me. Also, it means he has some individual bonding time with my daughter. All around, except for the stitches and concussion, I think I got a pretty good deal out of this.

"Fine, but you call me if you need me to get her for any reason," Gabi offers and pulls out a business card with all of her contact information. "You be good for Sonny, okay Arianna?"

"Yes, Mommy. Thank you for letting me go stay with Sonny. He's really nice, I promise," and when she says this, all three of us look at her and smile. She's pretty darn good at assessing character. And she's chosen Sonny over any other option. It makes my heart very, very happy.

"Trust me, I'll take very good care of her. And this way she can stay at the hospital with you for a while longer. And so can I," he says softly, sweetly, just to me.

"Okay, it's settled then," Gabi starts gathering her purse and laptop from the room. "Feel better, Will. I'll just plan on picking Arianna back up here tomorrow, say at 11am?"

"Sounds great, Gabi," and I do mean that sincerely. "Arianna, give your Mom a hug before she leaves." Arianna hops down eagerly knowing this is the final requirement she must complete before her Mom finally leaves.

"Love you, Mommy," Arianna says wrapping her arms around Gabi's neck, "thanks for letting me stay with Daddy and Sonny." Gabi releases her and kisses her on each cheek.

"Love you too sweetheart," Gabi pauses in the doorway, "Arianna, Sonny...take good care of Daddy, okay?" And with a short, quick smile at all of us, she is gone.

"Daddy, can I get back up into the bed with you?" my daughter is at my side once again, wanting to be close.

"What do you think, Will? Do you want us to leave for a while so you can nap? It's been kind of a crazy couple of hours." Sonny looks at me so sweetly, he's worried, I can tell. I like having someone like him worry about me. My heart is about to burst with happiness.

"I have a better idea," I use most of my energy to scoot myself over in the bed and pat the space I created next to me. "How about both you AND Sonny join me?"

"No, Will...that's too much..."

"No, Sonny, it's not. And it's what I want." I look at him pleading, "please, I need to feel close to both of you."

"Okay, Will." He gives in but I know he's still concerned. "Arianna, I'll get in first and then I'll pick you up and put you between us. Does that sound all right?" She nods at him excitedly.

Sonny gently navigates himself onto the side of the bed I've left for them, being very carful not to lay on any tubes or wires connecting me to various machines. He slides up next to me and as soon as I feel his body against mine, I am calmed, comforted, safe. He keeps one foot on the floor so he can balance himself as he lifts Arianna up to lay with us. First he sits her on his lap, then he whispers something into her ear to which she responds with a wide smile and small giggle. His body is still firmly pressed against mine, and he shifts Arianna so she is settled right in between us, her side tucked into the negligible crevice where my body ends and his begins. She is facing me and she sets her head on my shoulder. Sonny tries to move his arm, but it is now trapped underneath my daughter.

"Arianna, can you lift yourself up just a little?" and when she does, he pulls his arm free. Not sure what to do with it, he places it behind his head. In doing this he has also moved farther from me, and though it's only been seconds, I already miss his warmth.

"Sonny," I ask tentatively, knowing I've really been pushing my luck with him lately. "Could you put your arm around my shoulders? Then I can rest my head on you, and Arianna can rest hers on me? I-i-is that something we could try?"

This man I now realize I am quickly falling in love with, looks at me with the most incredible, adoring, breathtaking smile I've ever seen. "I would really like that, Will, as long as it's not too-"

"Trust me, Sonny," I am confident and elated as I cut him off, assuring him that this will do me more good than anything. "It's not too much. I want this." I look into his eyes and hold them steady, "please, I need to feel you close to me, too."

"Okay then." And once again he lifts Arianna off me a little so he can move his arm around my neck and rest his hand on my shoulder. Settling my head against his shoulder, he sets Arianna back down gently, tucking her between us, facing me. With a beautiful smile only my daughter can give, she looks at me and mouths the words, 'I love you Daddy'. I kiss her on the nose and reach my far arm across my front to rest on her hip. At the same time, Sonny moves his arm to the same exact place, and our hands meet in the middle. Lacing his fingers through mine, we lay completely still, each getting what we need from our embrace.

"Daddy," Arianna whispers, breaking the silence, "Sonny told me to tell you that he is really glad you are all right. And, ummm, he can't wait to celebrate your...ummm...I forget, Sonny. What am I supposed to tell him?" We both cannot help but laugh at how adorable she is.

Skipping the middle-man, or middle-kindergartner, I should say, Sonny chuckles and finishes for her. "I told her to tell you that I can't wait to celebrate our one-month anniversary." With my head on his shoulder, I can't look into his eyes, but I do hear his heart pick up the pace a little.

I think about what he said for a moment and respond, puzzled, "I thought we've already been dating for over a month?"

"Nope," Sonny says with self-assuredness, "today is actually the day before our first official date, exactly one month ago. And I'm expecting to celebrate with you by picking you up when you are released from this place and taking you out for a romantic dinner."

"Oh, yuck, Sonny, you sound mushy." Clearly she hasn't yet developed an appreciation for boys - and maybe she never will. Fine by me. Whatever makes my baby girl happy. "What is ro-ro-man-tick?" She enunciates each syllable.

"I suppose it means quiet time together, just the two of us," I try to explain.

"You mean you are going to go to dinner without me?" Incorrigible. Impertinent. She has us both firmly wrapped around her petite little finger.

Laughing again at her, neither of us provide an answer. We simply settle back into the positions that feel so perfect, like I was meant to fit into his arms and Arianna into mine. I feel Sonny squeeze my shoulder and place a soft kiss on the top of my head. I snuggle in a little closer and sigh contentedly, placing a kiss on his chest, right over his heart. Arianna squirms for a few seconds and then settles in to the both of us.

We're all starting to breathe evenly, all three of us just about to drift off to sleep, when the door to my room opens. Footsteps enter the room and then stop suddenly. "Who is there?" I am able to croak out groggily.

"Will, it's just Maxine. I was going to check your vitals but clearly I can see that you are doing okay, so I'll not interrupt you for now. But they will have to leave when visiting hours are over at 9pm, okay? I'll come back to see you then."

I don't reply as I hear Maxine leave just as quickly as she arrived. Closing my eyes, giving in completely to exhaustion and joy, I let myself fall asleep surrounded by the two most important people in my life.


	6. Chapter 6

"Okay, dear, I've got the discharge papers for you to sign and then you should be good to go." Maxine breezes into my room, clipboard in one hand and pen in the other. "Do you have someone coming to pick you up...like maybe that cute young man who was with you last night? Sonny, is that his name?" She winks at you and smiles mischievously.

Licking my lips I give her my best irritated look, "you don't trust me to get myself home, do ya, Maxine? I thought you and I were trackin'." I tease her playfully. I am in such a great mood today. I am checking out of this hospital; I am being picked up by my gorgeous boyfriend, who took the day off so he could be here for me; my ex-wife is picking up my daughter and spending the day with her, so that gorgeous aforementioned boyfriend and I can go out for a romantic dinner to celebrate our one-month anniversary. Yep, after spending some of the most wonderfully sweet time with Sonny and Arianna last night in my small little hospital bed, I am even more convinced that finally, after years in a loveless relationship, after years of frustration and sacrifice giving everything I have to my daughter, finally, it is my turn for happiness. I'm scared to get my hopes up, but I'm also scared to not put every ounce of energy and commitment into something I want so damn much. There is no doubt that I want Sonny in my life, and that I want him to be a part of Arianna's life. And my dream is that we become a family. And thinking that truly scares me shitless.

This is usually the point that I cool things off, acknowledge that I "like" him but that I really need to focus on my daughter. I stop returning texts and emails and always have an excuse for not being available to go out. I've gotten pretty good at protecting myself and my daughter from relationships that have no potential of going anywhere but to bed. Which is pretty much why I haven't been successful with either - the relationship or the being bedded part. This with Sonny feels so drastically different. I can't imagine not returning one of his texts or picking up when he calls so I can hear his sweet voice say my name. I don't want to keep Arianna from him...in fact, I want her to spend more and more time with him. I'm in deep. I'm afraid I've already fallen in love with this man.

Everyone descends on me around the same time. First Gabi arrives as she promised at 11am to pick up our daughter. She is cordial, but I sense that she is feeling a little hesitant about having trusted Sonny with Arianna last night. She barely even knows him. Hell, I barely even know him. "Will, it's so good to see you up and moving around. Are you feeling well enough to go home?"

"Yeah, Gabi, actually I'm feeling really great. Except for the gash on my head and little bit of soreness in my shoulders and back, I'm good as new." I smile at her and take a chance that she might be willing to talk a little more, while it's just the two of us, about our living arrangements now that our divorce is final. "Gabs?" I start gently, and she looks at me with a bit of sadness in her eyes.

"Will, I know what you are going to say. Our divorce is final, and I'm prolonging the inevitable the more I put off moving out." She sighs heavily and her voice cracks a bit when she speaks next, "I know we don't belong together Will. I've known that for a long time...just like you have. But we did do something right together, you know? We made Arianna, and I'm just so afraid of losing touch with her and with you once I move out. I know you are better equipped right now to be a parent to her, but despite what you think, I love her more than anything and am really going to miss her."

"Gabi, I have never doubted your love for her." I say this to her sincerely. "And I admire you for being able to do what's best for her."

"And we're sure the best thing for her is to be away from her mother?" she explodes angrily, unable to keep her emotions at bay.

"Honestly, Gabi?" I pause a moment and take a deep breath. "Yes, I do think this is what's best for her now. And so did our families, and our attorneys and the social worker and the judge." I'm being blunt, but Gabi knows I'm right. And she looks at the floor, defeated. "But don't worry. We're not going anywhere, and I can't imagine her life without you in it. You're her mom; that never changes."

Gabi moves from her chair to sit by me on the rigid hospital bed. She leans over and places a very sweet, very final kiss on my lips. I wrap my arms around her and pull her in for a hug. I can feel my shirt getting damp from her tears, so I just continue to hold her.

"Arianna," I hear Sonny's voice from the hallway, "the door looks like it's shut, so you should probably knock..." And just like the tornado my daughter is, she barrels through the door, obviously paying little attention to Sonny's suggestion.

"Daddy! Mommy?" her voice is inquisitive and her eyebrows scrunch as she takes in the sight of Gabi and I holding each other on the bed. "Are you two okay?"

"Yes, dear, we are great." Gabi quickly moves away from me and wipes at her eyes. "Your Daddy and I were just talking about how grateful we are to be such good friends. We both love you very much, you know?" Arianna nods her head and comes to Gabi to give her a hug. Releasing Arianna, Gabi stands, "so, princess, are we ready to head home? I have the day off and so we are going to spend it playing whatever you want!"

Arianna opens her mouth wide, "really, Mommy? Whatever I want?" She giggles and covers her mouth. She's so cute when she gets this excited. I am so happy that the prospect of spending the day with her Mom brings her such joy. Arianna jumps up and down and grabs Gabi's hand. "I'm ready, Mommy, are you? Let's go!" and Arianna is pulling her to the door.

"Just one sec, honey, okay?" Gabi keeps a hold of Arianna's hand but looks at me and Sonny. "I hardly know you Sonny, but I implicitly trust my daughter, who is always a great judge of character, and if she likes you, then I do too. You seem to make Will very happy. I think you two have something special here. So, enjoy your day together." She smiles at the both of us. "I'll see you tonight...tomorrow?"

"Sure," is all I can answer. I have no idea what to expect from today. And I would never presume that I would spend the night with Sonny. "I'll text you when I'm on my way home."

"Arianna, do you want to give your Daddy and Sonny a hug before we go?" and before she's even finished asking, Arianna runs at full speed to Sonny. Thank goodness he's prepared for her. She might have taken him down otherwise.

"Thank you so much for staying with me last night, girlie! I had a lot of fun with you." Sonny picks her feet off the floor and twirls her once around. "I'll see you again real soon, okay?"

"Sure, Sonny." She turns to me and embraces me carefully. "Daddy, are you sure you're okay?" She acts so grown up sometimes. I'm shocked at how kind and intuitive my daughter is. "And don't lie to me..." she adds grinning. She's definitely heard that from me before. Like when she cut off all the hair on her new Barbie or when a glass of juice got spilled in the living room, where she is forbidden to drink it. I questioned her then if she did those things, finishing with..."and don't lie to me..." She's a smart cookie to use my own words against me.

"I am feeling good, Arianna. Sonny and I will take it easy today, promise." I ruffle her ponytail and kiss her on the cheek. "Have fun with Mommy today!"

"I will!" and she is out the door with Gabi in tow.

Patting the spot beside me on the bed, I beckon Sonny over to me. He's been here for at least 15 minutes, and I have not hugged, kissed, touched or even been close enough to smell him. I need to change that now.

Sonny smiles at me and quickly moves to my side. He takes my right hand in his left, and I feel that electricity once again the moment we connect. He looks at me contentedly and asks, "So, does that mean you are all set to go?"

Without breaking our eye contact, I nod, barely able to contain the excitement I have about spending the day together. "I am so ready! Maxine already brought me the paperwork I needed to sign, and since my ride is here," I stop to wink at him, "then I'm good to go."

"Great, Will," Sonny lets go of my hand and stands from the bed. "I've got your bag of belongings, and if I'm not mistaken, we'll need a nurse to wheel you out of here."

"Wait a minute. Wheel me out of here? I don't get it." I'm very puzzled by this and yet very ready to be out of this white-walled, overly sterile and unwelcoming environment.

"When my Dad was here last year having surgery, they told him he had to be pushed out in a wheelchair - no exceptions. I'm gathering from the look on your face that you are just as thrilled to hear this as my Dad was..." Sonny rolls his eyes as I start in with all of my objections. "Suck it up, Horton," he interrupts me shamelessly, "deal with the wheelchair and then we'll be out of here, okay?"

"Brat," is all I can say in response. "Whatever. So, let's get this show on the road, hah? I'm hungry, and I expect you to take me somewhere nice to reward me for my bravery climbing up in that tree for you yesterday..."

"What?! Bullshit you climbed that tree for me." I can only shrug my shoulders and try to look innocent. "Well, one thing I do know for sure, clearly Arianna gets her precociousness and stubbornness from her Daddy..."

"Hey!" I pretend to be shocked and hurt. "But you know you are right." And we both laugh at the thought of the delightful girl that is my daughter. "Okay, enough talk. I'm ready to go."

Sonny pulls his car up in front of the hospital where I am waiting inside still stuck in the wheelchair, Maxine monitoring my every move. Keeping the car running, he hops out, stopping first to open the passenger's side door, and then comes to get me. "Ready?" he asks me already knowing my answer. "You have to let me help you to the car though. I know you think you're strong enough to do this on your own, but you were out cold for a few hours yesterday. So you're going to have to deal with me being a little overbearing for now."

I can only shake my head and roll my eyes at him, while on the inside I am secretly thrilled that he cares this much about me.

"Take good care of each other, boys..." Maxine waves good-bye, grabs the wheelchair and she is off. Sonny walks me carefully to the car, settles me into the seat and even reaches across to buckle me in. The whole time he's doing this I can't stop thinking about how I just want to run my fingers through his hair, nuzzle his neck with my nose, grab those lips with mine and kiss him passionately. The door slam jolts me out of my daydream, and soon Sonny is in the seat next to me, buckled in and pulling out of the hospital parking lot.

We talk about everything on the way to the restaurant. I'm just so happy to be with him that we could be discussing the Cubs rotten season, and I'd still be happy. We pull into a parking lot of a place I've never been. "Where are you taking me?" I ask teasingly. Truth is, I don't really care. Anywhere, as long as I am with Sonny, is fine by me.

"This is a great Indian restaurant I discovered a year ago. I hope you like Indian food."

"I haven't had too much of it, but it sounds great to me." Wiggling my eyebrows at him, I ask him boldly, "but before we go in, could you please kiss me, Sonny?" I am not afraid to meet his eyes, even though I know my desire for him will be abundantly clear.

Sonny doesn't respond with words but with action. He cradles my chin in his hand and holding my gaze, he leans in until his lips brush up against mine. The kiss is soft, gentle, careful. Though that's nice and all, it isn't the kind of kiss I had in mind. I apply more pressure right away, I dig my fingers into his hair and lean in so close our chests are touching. I start to kiss him wildly, wetly and more than a bit sloppily. I part his lips with my tongue and run it along his bottom lip. Sonny pulls away flustered, worried about me. "Will, we can go slowly. You did just get released from the hospital, you know."

But I'm not accepting slowly as an option. I want to feel Sonny close to me, I need to feel connected, alive, that I'm not as fragile and broken as I felt yesterday. "I know, Sonny. But I'm tired of being careful. I'm tired of holding back when I know what I want."

Sonny's face shifts from concern to surprise. He's breathing a bit faster, and I can see a question in his eyes. His gaze moves across my face to my lips, where he stays, his mouth slightly open in anticipation. "What is it that you want, Will?" His voice is husky, barely audible. I'm still just inches from him, I've been unable to move, intoxicated by our intimacy.

I use a hand to tilt his chin up, but he still avoids my direct stare. "Sonny, please look at me," my voice sounds different somehow, as if I'm hearing myself speak for the first time. Only after he raises his eyes to meet mine do I finally speak. "I want you, Sonny, in my life and in my bed. I've never wanted anyone so much." I swallow hard and holding his intense gaze, I move my hand from his chin to his jeans, smoothing my hand over the mound between his legs that instantly grows firmer at my touch.

"Oh God, Will!" he yells, and I recoil from him, scared I've crossed the line.

"I'm so sorry, Sonny...I should have checked with you first before I started groping you. I'm sorry - it's too much, isn't it? I just..."

"Will," Sonny doesn't let me finish, "it's not too much, I just didn't expect it right now. Please, Will, I didn't yell because I didn't want you to touch me, I yelled because I do." He takes his bottom lip gently between his own teeth and grabs onto the hand that I instinctually threw up in the air just a minute ago. Slowly, he brings my palm to his lips and then he guides my hand back down to the spot I had just been. He presses my hand firmly with his, so I can feel his arousal. I start to stroke, feeling him become more and more alive at my touch. Sonny gasps and this time whispers against my lips, "oh God, yes, Will," and we are kissing again, passionately, desperately wanting more.

Breaking from him momentarily, I offer a suggestion: "Could we maybe go to dinner later? Because I'd really like to go back to your place right now. I'm ready to take this to the next step, Sonny." And I kiss him again confidently, punctuating my point. "Please take me to your place. I'd really like to be alone with you right now."

After a few more minutes of tangling tongues and exploring lips, Sonny starts the car back up and heads in the direction of his apartment, one hand on the wheel and one hand in my lap. As soon as the car is parked, we both have our doors open and are climbing out of the seats with urgent determination. I right myself once out of the car and try to focus across the roof at Sonny. A dizzy spell overtakes me at that exact moment, and unbeknownst to me, I start to crumble to the ground.

"Will!" Sonny is yelling again, but this time he is also pulling me to him, resting my limp body against his, standing us both up. "Will?" he repeats waiting for my response, "try to focus on my nose and take a few deep breaths." I regain my balance after a couple of shaky breaths, but I know that mood is broken. We cannot possibly get back to where we were just minutes ago, hands all over each other, lips slightly swollen, and an unmistakable, throbbing bulge in our pants.

"Shit, Sonny, I don't know what just happened here?" I look at him apologetically. "Can we get back to that dreamy place we just were? I'm feeling stable enough now to walk up to your apartment."

But Sonny is shaking his head adamantly. "No, Will, we cannot get back to that place today. I should have known better that you are still pretty weak and need to rest, not engage in any physical activity for at least another day."

I start to interrupt, "but, Sonny, I feel fine..."

"No Will. That is final." He is serious. "You just sustained a concussion yesterday, spent a few hours unconscious, and had 8 stitches put in your head. No, I'm not letting you do this to me when I know better that you are not ready."

"God, Sonny," I'm angry and frustrated at my own mortality. "I can take this! I really do want to be with you..."

"I know, Will. That hasn't changed for me either. But I will not take a chance with your health. I need to know you are completely okay before we make love." He takes me into his arms and wraps them around me firmly. After I get over myself, I put my arms around him, too. I know he's right. I hate it, but that doesn't make it any less true.

"So, dinner, Will?" Sonny whispers into my ear, making me shiver.

"I suppose," I respond pouting, "it doesn't seem that we have anything else to do right now."

"Get back in the car, Will." Sonny releases me and watches as I settle myself back into the front seat of his car. He climbs in next to me and leans over to place a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Let's go celebrate our one-month anniversary, okay? I've got dinner reservations and it would be a shame to miss them." I must be looking a bit dejected because Sonny stops to look at me again before putting the car into gear. "We have all the time in the world, Will. I know that this will happen for us when the time is just right."

I take his hand from the wheel and hold it in mine. "I do believe that Sonny. Thanks for caring about me so much." We smile at each other, and he heads back in the direction of the restaurant. "So, tell me about your favorites at this place. What do you usually order?"


	7. Chapter 7

Walking in my front door, I am surprised to see Gabi in the living room surrounded by boxes. "I'm impressed," I comment moving one from the ottoman so I have a place to sit.

"I figured that it was about time, right, Will?" She smiles at me and returns to packing books, stacking them at least 5 high.

"You know, if you pack books on the bottom to about halfway up, then you can pack like a blanket or clothes on top. That way it is heavy where it needs to be but not so heavy no one can lift it. I made that mistake with my books last time I moved. My back still hasn't recovered. I think that was even worse than moving furniture." I'm trying to be helpful, but Gabi isn't paying much attention as she keeps adding more and more to the box. At least I tried.

"I'm surprised you are home tonight, Will. Didn't you have a hot date with Sonny...celebrating some big anniversary?" She shifted from her pile of books to CDs and DVDs.

"Yes, I thought so, too. But as you can see, I am home early because I am a total idiot." I run my fingers through my hair in frustration.

"What?" Gabi is shocked. "What happened, Will? You two were so in tune at the hospital earlier. How did it go so wrong?" she stops packing entirely to watch me and listen. I appreciate her attentiveness. It's a nice change.

"Well, we got to the restaurant and started making out in the car. I got us sort of riled up and asked if we could skip dinner and just go back to his place." I pause for her reaction.

"Bold, Will. I'm proud of you for telling him what you want."

"Except then I can't follow through." I'm shaking my head at the memory; I feel so naive and completely stupid. "Yep, that's what I said, can't finish what I started. We get into the parking lot at his place, and I pass out as I get out of the car. Sonny has to come running to keep me from falling onto the ground. He catches me and stands me back up, yes, he did save me..." I give her wistful smile, "but the whole brief stint of unconsciousness pretty much ruined the mood, and he felt guilty thinking he was taking advantage of me before I was well enough."

Hearing nothing from Gabi, I look up to see her fist over her mouth, stifling her response. She moves her hand and lets out a soft chuckle. "You really passed out?" She can't keep the grin off of her face.

"Yes, Gabi. I passed out. Now can we please stop talking about this?" I reply angrily.

"Will, it's very apparent to me that Sonny really likes you, so I don't think this is enough to turn him off. Did he at least take you to dinner then?" She's smirking at me now.

"Yes, smart ass," is my retort. "We did have a great dinner, complete with a very sweet kiss good-bye at the end of the date. I'm tired of sweet, Gabi! I want passion. And for the first time I go after what I want, I am thwarted by my own stupid body giving out on me. Encouraging, hah? He probably thinks I could never keep up with him now! I am frustrated - emotionally and sexually. Just those few wonderful touches sent my brain into overdrive, and I'm having trouble stopping."

Gabi takes a breath before continuing, "Will, if Sonny wanted fast and easy, he would have been gone a long time ago. And the fact that he stopped things means he really cares about you. Most men wouldn't give a crap...they'd just want sex."

"Maybe you're right. I just feel like a fool for instigating and not being able to follow through. I know he understands; He says he's just so happy I'm safe and out of the hospital. 'We've got all the time in the world, Will," he said to me. Jeez. He really is such a good guy, and he's being terribly chivalrous, but come on, I am so ready to see that man naked!"

"Who's naked, Daddy?" Arianna appears suddenly behind the couch. Perhaps I should have kept my voice down a bit. Floundering, I look at Gabi for help. She merely winks and shrugs her shoulders at me. Guess I'm on my own here.

"No one is naked, honey," I say to her, trying to buy myself just a bit more time, "but you should be - it's bath time! How about I run the bath and you get your pjs. We'll meet in the bathroom and then have a snack before bed. I brought your favorite ice cream home with me tonight..." That wasn't too bad. I'm proud of my quick thinking. Let's just hope that's all Arianna heard of our conversation.

Arianna's blue eyes open wide, and she starts dancing a little circle around me. "You brought me mint chocolate chip ice cream, Daddy!" I nod my head in response and she immediately runs to Gabi to share this life-changing news. "Mommy, did you hear? Daddy brought home my favorite ice cream?" Arianna is shouting at Gabi who is a mere foot from her daughter.

"Yes, Arianna, I heard," Gabi says to her softly, "I know you are excited but please use your inside voice, okay?"

"Sorry, Mommy." She makes puppy dog eyes at us and waits for Gabi to smile at her, knowing she's not able to stay mad for long. "I'm going to go get my jammies. Daddy, I'll be in the bathroom soon waiting for my bath..." and she turns and runs down to her room.

"That's my cue, I suppose." Leaving Gabi to pack more, I head down the hallway to the bathroom and get ready to spend the night with my daughter. Definitely a change in plans...I had hoped to be spending the night with someone else, doing something else entirely. _Maybe it could involve a bath,_ I think to myself now easily getting distracted from my job.

"Daddy, what does it mean to be fus-trated?" Arianna interrupts my naughty thoughts.

I shake my head at her, "what do you mean, sweetie? Did someone tell you they were frustrated?" emphasizing the first 'r' she left out.

"You said it to Mommy. You told her you were mo-shun-ly and sec-chew-ly fustrated. What does that mean?"

Shit. So much for hoping she hadn't heard more of my little chat with Gabi. "It's nothing you have to worry about now, sweetie. It just means that Daddy is a little mad at himself right now. I wasn't able to do something I thought I could." Changing the subject swiftly, I scoop up my now naked Arianna and set her in the warm water of the bath.

"Daddy, can we draw pictures on the wall with soap?" She's off and running in a totally different direction. Thank goodness. The last thing I need to have my 5 year old daughter worrying about is her Daddy's sexual frustration.

((((()))))

Three days later I'm sitting at the counter of the coffee shop, trying to tell Sonny, without giving away too much, about my adventures at bath time with Arianna the other night after our date.

"So the child is clean, and she even lets me wash and rinse her hair. That rarely happens without at least one temper tantrum." I pause as Sonny chuckles, clearly picturing Arianna having one of her 'episodes'. "We go out to the kitchen after the bath, and I fix her a bowl of her favorite ice cream - mint chocolate ship. Now granted, she is just 5, but she's pretty good at feeding herself. Oh no, not this time! That girl had green ice cream everywhere! I don't know how she managed to get some in her ear, on her belly under her pajamas and all over her toes. Not to mention on the table, the floor and me. By the time she was finished, we both needed a bath!" I laughed remembering Gabi's look of amusement as I carried Arianna down the hallway for bath #2. "So, in she went for another bath, I had Gabi put her to bed, and I took a long, hot shower."

"Hmmm..." Sonny murmured, "the shower part with you sounds pretty interesting..." He winks at me and raises his eyebrows, trying to look sexy.

"Yeah, well, after our little incident before dinner the other night, I should have been taking a cold shower..." I am a little embarrassed to say it, but it's the truth. And then I manage to humiliate myself even more than I thought possible. "I even had my own daughter concerned that I was sexually frustrated..." It was out of my mouth so fast I couldn't take it back. I could only close my eyes, blush like crazy and hope Sonny would ignore that latest admission.

"Okay, Will, let me lock up my office and we're out of here. We're still going back to my place, right, to watch a movie? I've got popcorn and sour patch kids." He's so sweet, remembering what Arianna and I like to get when we go to the movie theater. He's amazing, this guy, he actually pays attention to what I have to say AND he likes to hear stories about my child. And he can ignore the stupid things I say. I don't know what alternate universe Sonny came from, but I am happy to have found him and plan to never let him go.

"Yep, Rafe has Arianna for the evening until Gabi gets home. So, I'm covered." I stand to clean up my coffee cup while Sonny takes off his apron and heads to the back to lock up.

Riding to his place, Sonny suddenly says to me, "So, you don't have to go home tonight?" I look at him curiously as he's driving. He's not meeting my eyes, not even taking his from the road for one second to look at me.

"I guess that's true. But I don't expect anything Sonny. It was apparent last weekend that we need to move slowly. I get the message loud and clear."

"I know, Will. It's just nice that if you get tired or fall asleep, you can stay over." Sonny clears his throat to try to cover up the crack in his voice. He's nervous maybe. Perhaps a bit anxious. This is going to be a good night, I can tell already.

I get the movie started, and Sonny gets our snacks. We are watching 'Lincoln' in an attempt to catch up on the oscar winning movies we both missed this year. It's very good. I'm actually in awe of Daniel Day Lewis. I wish I could do that. But being an actor would take me from Salem, from my daughter, from Sonny. That is painful to think about. We haven't yet made love, or really done much of anything intimately, but I know that I've fallen in love with him. I don't intend to tell him anytime soon, though, for fear of scaring him off. I was already too successful in helping him avoid sleeping with me by falling out of a tree. Nope. I'll save that declaration for just the right time.

Sonny glances over at me and can tell I'm not really watching the movie. "Will," he whispers, "are you watching?"

"Yes," I stammer, though I'm totally not. But he doesn't have to know where my mind has been.

"Liar," he simply states and takes my hand in his. We're sitting side by side on the couch, I'm leaning up against his shoulder with my foot propped up. He uses my hand to pull me around to face him. "Let's not fool ourselves, Will, and pretend we want to watch this movie right now. With you sitting next to me like this, I can't concentrate on anything else but you and the fact that you smell amazing. Each time I breathe in and get a whiff of you, I just want to tackle you and kiss you."

"Then why don't you?" I ask softly, daringly and watch as his eyes darken. No longer having the patience to wait for him, I lean forward, take a handful of his hair in my fists and kiss him hard. Knocking him back so he's fully on the couch, I climb on top of him and continue to move my mouth all over him. First I kiss him thoroughly until our lips are swollen. When I've finished with his lips, I move my tongue past his teeth into his wanting mouth. We play, tease, suck and bite until we are both completely intoxicated with lust. I break from him a moment to look directly into his eyes. I know he wants to make sure I'm all right, and I want to make sure he knows that I am. I stare into his beautiful brown eyes and offer a slight smile. He holds my blue ones just as intensely and smiles back. He pulls himself up so that I'm pretty much sitting in his lap, runs his thumb across my lips and grins, acknowledging our silent conversation.

"Come with me to bed, Will?" he beckons, standing us both up and taking my hands in his.

"Yes, Sonny. There's nothing I'd like more." And I follow him past the kitchen, into his bedroom, 'Lincoln" still playing in the background, now to an empty audience.

Sonny turns on the lamp he has on his dresser. It's got a dark purple shade and the light it gives off is subtle and pastel. It's perfect in this moment. But to me everything about this moment is perfect. We could be in the creepy basement of my Grandparent's old house, and I think I would still feel the same way. As long as I was here with Sonny.

Undressing me slowly, he lays my shirt on the trunk at the end of his bed. He folds it neatly, taking his time, all the while driving me crazy with his deliberateness. "Sonny," I interrupt his folding, "I want you so bad. Please, I don't want to wait any longer for you."

"Will," he stops in his tracks and sharply inhales. "I do, too. But I want this moment to be perfect. I want you to remember this - your first time - for the rest of your life. I-I'm just not wanting to rush, I guess."

"Sonny, this moment is already perfect because you are here with me. I care about you so much, I can't even tell you how long I've dreamed of this..."

"Me, too, Will." He frames my face with his hands and kisses me tenderly, pulling away too soon. "There is something I need to tell you though, first." He takes my hand and sits me down on the trunk facing him. Oh boy. I'm the one who's nervous now. "A long time ago, when I first came out, I was kind of lost and needed to explore what being gay meant. I did some stupid things, including having unprotected sex with a couple of guys. I've never made that mistake again, and I get tested on a regular basis. I'm clean, no worries, thank goodness. But I won't have sex without a condom now, is that okay?" He looks at me tentatively, like this might be a deal-breaker.

I reassure him, "no, Sonny, I mean yes...using a condom is fine. I want us both to be protected. Thank you for being honest."

"Good, I know some people say you can't feel as much, but I don't think that's really true...plus I feel a lot better knowing that me and my partner are playing it safe..." Sonny rambles on a bit awkwardly. Putting my finger to his lips, I silence him. Grabbing his shirt lightly in my hands, I lift it over his head, toss it behind me and rest my hands on his chest. God is he beautiful. He chest is soft, tanned, and muscular. I'm breathless just taking in the sight of his partial nakedness.

"Will," he's talking again and pulls my gaze from his chest to his eyes. "One more thing." He swallows and waits for my encouragement. I open my eyes and nod for him to go on. He puts his arms around me and nuzzles his nose against my ear. I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my head into his shoulder. His gentle caresses are making my whole body tingle, so he better get on with it, as I can't hold on much longer.

"Yes, Sonny," I say somewhat impatiently, my words muffled against his collar bone.

"I love you, Will. I have fallen head over heels in love with you. I want you to know that this has happened even before our first time together. I love you so much without that."

I jerk my head up in shock, a puzzled expression on my face. I need to make sure that I heard him correctly. "You..." but I'm unable to continue, and he quickly jumps in to confirm my thoughts.

"Yes, Will, I did just tell you that I'm in love with you. And I'm not telling you now to get you to sleep with me. I'm telling you now so you know how strong my feelings are for you, before you sleep with me."

I know I have to tell him my secret now too. "Ummm...you know the moment you busted me not watching the movie earlier?" He nods and squints his eyebrows, I'm sure wondering where exactly I'm going with this. "I'm being honest when I say that I was thinking about what I would do if I ever lost you. And that led me to admitting to myself how deeply I care for you, and that I realize that I've fallen in love with you. I didn't plan on telling you just yet, though. I, um, figured I had already screwed up enough of our intimate moments, I didn't want to ruin this one, too." I smile at him shyly, waiting for a reaction.

"Will, that makes me so happy," and he looks at me with complete and total adoration.

Our love for each other now clearly established, Sonny lets his hands once again start to explore my body. He runs his fingertips up my arms and across my chest, to circle my nipples. The feeling is so intense I can't help but moan with pleasure. He helps me stand and starts to work my belt buckle, dropping my jeans to the floor and eventually my boxer shorts follow. I do the same with him, staring openly at his amazing body, the perfect curve of his ass, the slight outline of his hips, the glorious trail leading from his stomach down to his arousal. Undressed and overwhelmed with desire, we walk to the bed and fall onto it together, side by side, lips crashing together, hands moving over warm skin. Involuntarily my hips jut forward and the feeling of us against each other is electric. It is true - everything I've read in books and online, everything I've seen in movies - that as a gay man, sex with another man is the most fucking amazing feeling ever. I am breathless and desperate, and I cry out trying not to cum before we've even really gotten started. "Sonny," my voice is hoarse, "I'm sorry, but this might be fast, my first time..."

Smiling at me, pulling me closer, he holds me for just a moment, slowing our breathing momentarily. "That's just fine, Will. It's okay. We have all night together, remember? Plus, it's about time we did something about your sexual frustration..."

I gasp and playfully smack him on the arm. "I was hoping maybe you didn't hear that...I should have known that you'd eventually bring it up. You're mean."

"No, I'm not mean, and you know you don't really feel that way. I said it to tease you, but seriously, I'm so happy to be here with you. So, shut up Will Horton, and let me make love to you." And I don't say one more word.


	8. Chapter 7point5

**A/N: Hello friends and readers, I cannot thank you enough for your continued reviews. I appreciate every single one of them. This next chapter, I like to think of it as 7.5, was born out of one of those reviews. My friend and fellow author, winstons1984, couldn't stop thinking about what Sonny's POV might be like through that last chapter. I agreed with her but expressed concern with my own ability to provide Sonny with a unique voice...when I'm trying to stay focused on Will. So, she offered to write Sonny. And though she did it mostly for our own enjoyment, I LOVED it so much, that I asked if I could re-publish my chapter 7 with her additions, in alternating POVs. So here it is...Will AND Sonny. My chapters tend to be long already, so this just makes it a bit looonger. I hope you stay with it!**

** Thank you so much winstons1984, you are talented, supportive and I feel so blessed to be able to combine our writing into one cohesive piece. Oh, and for those of you who have been begging for the next installment...I will post Chapter 8 right after this one!**

**(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)**

Will's POV - At Home

Walking in my front door, I am surprised to see Gabi in the living room surrounded by boxes. "I'm impressed," I comment moving one from the ottoman so I have a place to sit.

"I figured that it was about time, right, Will?" She smiles at me and returns to packing books, stacking them at least 5 high.

"You know, if you pack books on the bottom to about halfway up, then you can pack like a blanket or clothes on top. That way it is heavy where it needs to be but not so heavy no one can lift it. I made that mistake with my books last time I moved. My back still hasn't recovered. I think that was even worse than moving furniture." I'm trying to be helpful, but Gabi isn't paying much attention as she keeps adding more and more to the box. At least I tried.

"I'm surprised you are home tonight, Will. Didn't you have a hot date with Sonny...celebrating some big anniversary?" She shifted from her pile of books to CDs and DVDs.

"Yes, I thought so, too. But as you can see, I am home early because I am a total idiot." I run my fingers through my hair in frustration.

"What?" Gabi is shocked. "What happened, Will? You two were so in tune at the hospital earlier. How did it go so wrong?" she stops packing entirely to watch me and listen. I appreciate her attentiveness. It's a nice change.

"Well, we got to the restaurant and started making out in the car. I got us sort of riled up and asked if we could skip dinner and just go back to his place." I pause for her reaction.

"Bold, Will. I'm proud of you for telling him what you want."

"Except then I can't follow through." I'm shaking my head at the memory; I feel so naive and completely stupid. "Yep, that's what I said, can't finish what I started. We get into the parking lot at his place, and I pass out as I get out of the car. Sonny has to come running to keep me from falling onto the ground. He catches me and stands me back up, yes, he did save me..." I give her wistful smile, "but the whole brief stint of unconsciousness pretty much ruined the mood, and he felt guilty thinking he was taking advantage of me before I was well enough."

Hearing nothing from Gabi, I look up to see her fist over her mouth, stifling her response. She moves her hand and lets out a soft chuckle. "You really passed out?" She can't keep the grin off of her face.

"Yes, Gabi. I passed out. Now can we please stop talking about this?" I reply angrily.

"Will, it's very apparent to me that Sonny really likes you, so I don't think this is enough to turn him off. Did he at least take you to dinner then?" She's smirking at me now.

"Yes, smart ass," is my retort. "We did have a great dinner, complete with a very sweet kiss good-bye at the end of the date. I'm tired of sweet, Gabi! I want passion. And for the first time I go after what I want, I am thwarted by my own stupid body giving out on me. Encouraging, hah? He probably thinks I could never keep up with him now! I am frustrated - emotionally and sexually. Just those few wonderful touches sent my brain into overdrive, and I'm having trouble stopping."

Gabi takes a breath before continuing, "Will, if Sonny wanted fast and easy, he would have been gone a long time ago. And the fact that he stopped things means he really cares about you. Most men wouldn't give a crap...they'd just want sex."

"Maybe you're right. I just feel like a fool for instigating and not being able to follow through. I know he understands; He says he's just so happy I'm safe and out of the hospital. 'We've got all the time in the world, Will," he said to me. Jeez. He really is such a good guy, and he's being terribly chivalrous, but come on, I am so ready to see that man naked!"

"Who's naked, Daddy?" Arianna appears suddenly behind the couch. Perhaps I should have kept my voice down a bit. Floundering, I look at Gabi for help. She merely winks and shrugs her shoulders at me. Guess I'm on my own here.

"No one is naked, honey," I say to her, trying to buy myself just a bit more time, "but you should be - it's bath time! How about I run the bath and you get your pjs. We'll meet in the bathroom and then have a snack before bed. I brought your favorite ice cream home with me tonight..." That wasn't too bad. I'm proud of my quick thinking. Let's just hope that's all Arianna heard of our conversation.

Arianna's blue eyes open wide, and she starts dancing a little circle around me. "You brought me mint chocolate chip ice cream, Daddy!" I nod my head in response and she immediately runs to Gabi to share this life-changing news. "Mommy, did you hear? Daddy brought home my favorite ice cream?" Arianna is shouting at Gabi who is a mere foot from her daughter.

"Yes, Arianna, I heard," Gabi says to her softly, "I know you are excited but please use your inside voice, okay?"

"Sorry, Mommy." She makes puppy dog eyes at us and waits for Gabi to smile at her, knowing she's not able to stay mad for long. "I'm going to go get my jammies. Daddy, I'll be in the bathroom soon waiting for my bath..." and she turns and runs down to her room.

"That's my cue, I suppose." Leaving Gabi to pack more, I head down the hallway to the bathroom and get ready to spend the night with my daughter. Definitely a change in plans...I had hoped to be spending the night with someone else, doing something else entirely. _Maybe it could involve a bath,_ I think to myself now easily getting distracted from my job.

"Daddy, what does it mean to be fus-trated?" Arianna interrupts my naughty thoughts.

I shake my head at her, "what do you mean, sweetie? Did someone tell you they were frustrated?" emphasizing the first 'r' she left out.

"You said it to Mommy. You told her you were mo-shun-ly and sec-chew-ly fustrated. What does that mean?"

Shit. So much for hoping she hadn't heard more of my little chat with Gabi. "It's nothing you have to worry about now, sweetie. It just means that Daddy is a little mad at himself right now. I wasn't able to do something I thought I could." Changing the subject swiftly, I scoop up my now naked Arianna and set her in the warm water of the bath.

"Daddy, can we draw pictures on the wall with soap?" She's off and running in a totally different direction. Thank goodness. The last thing I need to have my 5 year old daughter worrying about is her Daddy's sexual frustration.

(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)

Sonny's POV - At Common Grounds

_I can't believe it has only been three days since Will and I were together celebrating our one month anniversary. It feels like it has been another full month. The more time I spend with him the harder it is to be away from him and these three days have been even more lonely, because now I know that Will wants me._

_His words keep replaying in my mind, 'I want you, Sonny, in my life and in my bed. I've never wanted anyone so much.' Is it really possible that he wants me as much as I want him? That is hard to believe. He likes me, of course, but until I heard those words I thought I was the only one struggling to keep my passion in check._

_Ever since he spoke those words to me, I know that Will is ready for intimacy and that knowledge somehow hyped up my brain activity to the point where I am almost constantly in fantasy mode. Well, except when I am planning my attack. To be fair, it isn't an attack and Will is far more than prey. He told me he wants to be together that way, but the desire building inside of me could lead to an attack if I don't find some way to calm myself. _

_Well, I have to give myself full credit for leaving Will with one gentle kiss after our dinner. That was definitely a demonstration of world-record setting self control on my part. The meal had strengthened him and that adorable blush had returned to his cheeks, but I knew it still wasn't the right time and I followed through even though every cell in my body was screaming at my brain to grab Will and press him tightly against me from head to toe. I told myself it would get easier once I dropped him off, but every traffic light seemed like an invitation to turn right and head back to Will's apartment so I could ravish him. I thought it would get easier once I was home, but the longing and the images only continued intensely._

_Enough of these circular thoughts, it is time to focus on the stocking and the cleaning, so I will be ready to leave the coffee shop when Will arrives. This is the first part of the plan, wrapping things up so we can spend time together._

_Well that was productive. I am almost ready and still have about 30 minutes before Will arrives. I wonder if he will have to go home tonight. Well, if Gabi is home then she would be there all night I guess, so unless she is going out or moving out or leaving town, he should be able to. I really hope I am right. Will is certainly worth waiting for, but I would love for tonight to be the night._

_We shouldn't proceed if he can't spend the night. I want to make his first time meaningful, memorable and that has to include holding him in my arms while he sleeps and being the first thing he sees when he wakes up in the morning. I guess I will need to find some way to ask him before making a move. That is definitely a deal-breaker. Having him leave in the middle of the night after being so close would not only break my heart it would cheapen the experience, so that settles it. I will have to find some way to ask with subtlety and tact._

_The waiting is almost over just 15 more minutes. Things turned for the better as soon as Will accepted the invitation for a movie at my place. He didn't hesitate, and he must realize that we will be alone together for the whole evening and more if it goes well. I so hope he hasn't changed his mind from the moment he said he wanted me in his life and in his bed. Could I have done anything to scare him off or change his mind from then to now? I can't think of anything. Well he will be here soon, so time to freshen up and work on my composure._

_After returning from the bathroom, I see the front door open. Seeing him within reach spreads a warmth from my core outward to every part of my body. He looks amazing in a tight white long sleeved shirt and form fitting jeans. Of course, it is the perfect casual outfit for a movie night in, but the sight is causing me to unravel. Our eyes meet and I gesture to him to meet me at the counter. As he sits down and leans in I give him a light kiss on the cheek and he follows with a gentle peck to my lips. _

_"It is good to see you, Will," I say with a rasp in my voice._

_"It is good to see you too, Sonny," he responds in an almost whisper._

_"I have about 15 minutes left, you want to chat over a coffee while I wrap up?" I ask._

_"Sure," Will says, getting more comfortable on his stool and as I pour him a cup of coffee he starts to tell me a funny story about Arianna._

(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)

Will's POV - At Common Grounds

I'm sitting at the counter of the coffee shop, trying to tell Sonny, without giving away too much, about my adventures at bath time with Arianna the other night after our date.

"So the child is clean, and she even lets me wash and rinse her hair. That rarely happens without at least one temper tantrum." I pause as Sonny chuckles, clearly picturing Arianna having one of her 'episodes'. "We go out to the kitchen after the bath, and I fix her a bowl of her favorite ice cream - mint chocolate ship. Now granted, she is just 5, but she's pretty good at feeding herself. Oh no, not this time! That girl had green ice cream everywhere! I don't know how she managed to get some in her ear, on her belly under her pajamas and all over her toes. Not to mention on the table, the floor and me. By the time she was finished, we both needed a bath!" I laughed remembering Gabi's look of amusement as I carried Arianna down the hallway for bath #2. "So, in she went for another bath, I had Gabi put her to bed, and I took a long, hot shower."

"Hmmm..." Sonny murmurs, "the shower part with you sounds pretty interesting..." He winks at me and raises his eyebrows, trying to look sexy. He does.

"Yeah, well, after our little incident before dinner the other night, I should have been taking a cold shower..." I am a little embarrassed to say it, but it's the truth. And then I manage to humiliate myself even more than I thought possible. "I even had my own daughter concerned that I was sexually frustrated..." It was out of my mouth so fast I couldn't take it back. I could only close my eyes, blush like crazy and hope Sonny would ignore that latest admission.

"Okay, Will, let me lock up my office and we're out of here. We're still going back to my place, right, to watch a movie? I've got popcorn and sour patch kids." He's so sweet, remembering what Arianna and I like to get when we go to the movie theater. He's amazing, this guy, he actually pays attention to what I have to say AND he likes to hear stories about my child. And he can ignore the stupid things I say. I don't know what alternate universe Sonny came from, but I am happy to have found him and plan to never let him go.

"Yep, Rafe has Arianna for the evening until Gabi gets home. So, I'm covered." I stand to clean up my coffee cup while Sonny takes off his apron and heads to the back to lock up.

(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)

Sonny's POV - the Car Ride

_After locking up the coffee house, I walk with Will to my car as I try to recall exactly the words he said. I think it was 'Rafe has Arianna until Gabi gets home', so that probably means Gabi will be home for the whole night and worst case he has to go at some set time in the morning. I was so lost in my thoughts I didn't realize we had reached the car and Will is waiting for me to unlock it. When I look up, he immediately catches my attention. He is watching me and smiling his brilliant smile at me. I unlock the door, but seeing him combined with my thoughts and worries made me start to feel nervous. I climb in deliberately and start the car, not daring to take my eyes off the windshield. I follow the route home mechanically._

_OK, maybe it is time to tactfully ask if he can spend the night. I feel my palms starting to sweat against the steering wheel._

_"So, you don't have to go home tonight?" I don't understand why I am so nervous just asking him that question. I am not sure I can control my facial expression so I keep my eyes ahead focused on the road. I wish I could look at him, but I can't. I hope my question is making him think of the possibilities the night promises. _

_"I guess that's true. But I don't expect anything Sonny. It was apparent last weekend that we need to move slowly. I get the message loud and clear," he replies far too calmly._

_What does that mean? He doesn't expect something or he doesn't want something? We need to move slowly? That is all we have been doing? Over a month is plenty slow for two grown men. He gets the message? Surely he knows my message was only to wait until he could hold himself upright, not longer. Maybe he doesn't want to or maybe the whole incident changed his mind and now he wants to slow down. I need to back pedal a bit to give him room I guess and remove any pressure._

_"I know, Will. It's just nice that if you get tired or fall asleep, you can stay over." My voice starts to crack, so I clear my throat to cover it. He probably didn't notice. Now my palms are definitely sweating. Well at least now he knows he is invited to stay over no matter what happens. Although, I will be surprised if he bought the 'if you fall asleep' excuse. He looks relaxed though, even content, I would say. Well that sucks! He may not be opposed to some intimacy but he clearly isn't dying for it like I am. He isn't all tight with sexual tension. He looks like . . . well . . . like he is ready for a quiet night and a movie. _

_Well, maybe I can seduce him. Oh my god! I have to get control of my thoughts. Remember, I want this to be meaningful, a demonstration of the fact that I have fallen deeply in love with him. I can't seduce him and I need to stop any more thoughts like that. If we are both ready to make love, we will, and if he is not then I have to be ready to wait. Well we are in the parking lot now so I guess I better get into movie mode._

(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)

Will's POV - the Car Ride

Riding to his place, Sonny suddenly says to me, "So, you don't have to go home tonight?" I look at him curiously as he's driving. He's not meeting my eyes, not even taking his from the road for one second to look at me.

"I guess that's true. But I don't expect anything Sonny. It was apparent last weekend that we need to move slowly. I get the message loud and clear."

"I know, Will. It's just nice that if you get tired or fall asleep, you can stay over." Sonny clears his throat to try to cover up the crack in his voice. He's nervous maybe. Perhaps a bit anxious. This is going to be a good night, I can tell already.

I get the movie started, and Sonny gets our snacks. We are watching 'Lincoln' in an attempt to catch up on the oscar-winning movies we both missed this year. It's very good. I'm actually in awe of Daniel Day Lewis. I wish I could do that. But being an actor would take me from Salem, from my daughter, from Sonny. That is painful to think about. We haven't yet made love, or really done much of anything intimately, but I know that I've fallen in love with him. I don't intend to tell him anytime soon, though, for fear of scaring him off. I was already too successful in helping him avoid sleeping with me by falling out of a tree. Nope. I'll save that declaration for just the right time.

(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)

Sonny's POV - the Movie

_Will started the movie and I bring over the snacks. Will is sitting right next to me on the couch. I can feel the warmth of his body connecting with mine from my knee up to my shoulder. I know I was watching the movie when we first sat down, but I keep finding my eyes and my mind focused on the feeling of Will so close to me._

_It's like a buzz of electricity between us and I am trying to keep my muscles calm so I breathe deeply. Oops! That was a mistake. Will's scent fills my head and my lungs and I have to swallow back a moan. OK. I will just breathe normally and focus on the screen._

_My mind wanders back to the coffee shop and the story about Arianna. Did Will actually say even his daughter was worried about his sexual frustration? Yes, I am sure he did. Well that is something new to consider. Maybe he really does want me badly, but he is just better at disciplining his body and that is why he seems so calm and collected while I am a bundle of raw nerves. Maybe I just need to make the first move and then he will let his guard down. OK, that is good and he confirmed he can stay for the night. I think I will do it, but how? I risk a glance his way and catch his aroma again. For a moment, I think I will just tackle him and start kissing him, but then logic returns._

_I need him to know that we will be making love, not just having sex. Maybe I should just finally admit that I have fallen completely in love with him and then he will know what it means. Yes, that is it, but what if he completely freaks out and leaves? Come on, Sonny, be a man. If you love him, you can be brave enough to be honest with him._

_I turn to him again and realize that he isn't watching the movie either. His eyes are focused on the wall above the screen and he seems deep in thought._

_"Will," I whisper, "are you watching?"_

_"Yes," he stammers, but I can tell he is lying._

_"Liar," I say matter of factly and take is hand in mine. I tug on his hand pulling him around to face me. Honesty, I remind myself. Will deserves nothing less. _

_"Let's not fool ourselves, Will, and pretend we want to watch this movie right now. With you sitting next to me like this, I can't concentrate on anything else but you and the fact that you smell amazing. Each time I breathe in and get a whiff of you, I just want to tackle you and kiss you." OK, the ball is rolling now. I keep my eyes focused on him so I can read his reaction._

_Then Will says the most amazing thing to me. So, simple but it silences me as I try to process it._

_"Then why don't you?" he asks softly, daringly. I tell myself to kiss him but I can't move. I can only stare deeper into his eyes. Impatiently, Will puts his hands in my hair and kisses me hard. I am immediately transported to the fantasy world that I have been living in the past three days, but it is better than I ever imagined._

(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)

Will's POV - the Movie and More

Sonny glances over at me and can tell I'm not really watching the movie. "Will," he whispers, "are you watching?"

"Yes," I stammer, though I'm totally not. But he doesn't have to know where my mind has been.

"Liar," he simply states and takes my hand in his. We're sitting side by side on the couch, I'm leaning up against his shoulder with my foot propped up. He uses my hand to pull me around to face him. "Let's not fool ourselves, Will, and pretend we want to watch this movie right now. With you sitting next to me like this, I can't concentrate on anything else but you and the fact that you smell amazing. Each time I breathe in and get a whiff of you, I just want to tackle you and kiss you."

"Then why don't you?" I ask softly, daringly and watch as his eyes darken. No longer having the patience to wait for him, I lean forward, take a handful of his hair in my fists and kiss him hard. Knocking him back so he's fully on the couch, I climb on top of him and continue to move my mouth all over him. First I kiss him thoroughly until our lips are swollen. When I've finished with his lips, I move my tongue past his teeth into his wanting mouth. We play, tease, suck and bite until we are both completely intoxicated with lust. I break from him a moment to look directly into his eyes. I know he wants to make sure I'm all right, and I want to make sure he knows that I am. I stare into his beautiful brown eyes and offer a slight smile. He holds my blue ones just as intensely and smiles back. He pulls himself up so that I'm pretty much sitting in his lap, runs his thumb across my lips and grins, acknowledging our silent conversation.

"Come with me to bed, Will?" he beckons, standing us both up and taking my hands in his.

"Yes, Sonny. There's nothing I'd like more." And I follow him past the kitchen, into his bedroom, 'Lincoln" still playing in the background, now to an empty audience.

Sonny turns on the lamp he has on his dresser. It's got a dark purple shade and the light it gives off is subtle and pastel. It's perfect in this moment. But to me everything about this moment is perfect. We could be in the creepy basement of my Grandparent's old house, and I think I would still feel the same way. As long as I was here with Sonny.

Undressing me slowly, he lays my shirt on the trunk at the end of his bed. He folds it neatly, taking his time, all the while driving me crazy with his deliberateness. "Sonny," I interrupt his folding, "I want you so bad. Please, I don't want to wait any longer for you."

"Will," he stops in his tracks and sharply inhales. "I do, too. But I want this moment to be perfect. I want you to remember this - your first time - for the rest of your life. I-I'm just not wanting to rush, I guess."

"Sonny, this moment is already perfect because you are here with me. I care about you so much, I can't even tell you how long I've dreamed of this..."

"Me, too, Will." He frames my face with his hands and kisses me tenderly, pulling away too soon. "There is something I need to tell you though, first." He takes my hand and sits me down on the trunk facing him. Oh boy. I'm the one who's nervous now. "A long time ago, when I first came out, I was kind of lost and needed to explore what being gay meant. I did some stupid things, including having unprotected sex with a couple of guys. I've never made that mistake again, and I get tested on a regular basis. I'm clean, no worries, thank goodness. But I won't have sex without a condom now, is that okay?" He looks at me tentatively, like this might be a deal-breaker.

I reassure him, "no, Sonny, I mean yes...using a condom is fine. I want us both to be protected. Thank you for being honest."

"Good, I know some people say you can't feel as much, but I don't think that's really true...plus I feel a lot better knowing that me and my partner are playing it safe..." Sonny rambles on a bit awkwardly. Putting my finger to his lips, I silence him. Grabbing his shirt lightly in my hands, I lift it over his head, toss it behind me and rest my hands on his chest. God is he beautiful. He chest is soft, tanned, and muscular. I'm breathless just taking in the sight of his partial nakedness.

"Will," he's talking again and pulls my gaze from his chest to his eyes. "One more thing." He swallows and waits for my encouragement. I open my eyes and nod for him to go on. He puts his arms around me and nuzzles his nose against my ear. I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my head into his shoulder. His gentle caresses are making my whole body tingle, so he better get on with it, as I can't hold on much longer.

"Yes, Sonny," I say somewhat impatiently, my words muffled against his collar bone.

"I love you, Will. I have fallen head over heels in love with you. I want you to know that this has happened even before our first time together. I love you so much without that."

I jerk my head up in shock, a puzzled expression on my face. I need to make sure that I heard him correctly. "You..." but I'm unable to continue, and he quickly jumps in to confirm my thoughts.

"Yes, Will, I did just tell you that I'm in love with you. And I'm not telling you now to get you to sleep with me. I'm telling you now so you know how strong my feelings are for you, before you sleep with me."

I know I have to tell him my secret now too. "Ummm...you know the moment you busted me not watching the movie earlier?" He nods and squints his eyebrows, I'm sure wondering where exactly I'm going with this. "I'm being completely honest when I say that I was thinking about what I would do if I ever lost you. And that led me to admitting to myself how deeply I care for you, and that I realize that I've fallen in love with you. I didn't plan on telling you just yet, though. I, um, figured I had already screwed up enough of our intimate moments, I didn't want to ruin this one, too." I smile at him shyly, waiting for a reaction.

"Will, that makes me so happy," and he looks at me with complete and total adoration.

Our love for each other now clearly established, Sonny lets his hands once again start to explore my body. He runs his fingertips up my arms and across my chest, to circle my nipples. The feeling is so intense I can't help but moan with pleasure. He helps me stand and starts to work my belt buckle, dropping my jeans to the floor and eventually my boxer shorts follow. I do the same with him, staring openly at his amazing body, the perfect curve of his ass, the slight outline of his hips, the glorious trail leading from his stomach down to his arousal. Undressed and overwhelmed with desire, we walk to the bed and fall onto it together, side by side, lips crashing together, hands moving over warm skin. Involuntarily my hips jut forward and the feeling of us against each other is electric. It is true - everything I've read in books and online, everything I've seen in movies - that as a gay man, sex with another man is the most fucking amazing feeling ever. I am breathless and desperate, and I cry out trying not to cum before we've even really gotten started. "Sonny," my voice is hoarse, "I'm sorry, but this might be fast, my first time..."

Smiling at me, pulling me closer, he holds me for just a moment, slowing our breathing momentarily. "That's just fine, Will. It's okay. We have all night together, remember? Plus, it's about time we did something about your sexual frustration..."

I gasp and playfully smack him on the arm. "I was hoping maybe you didn't hear that...I should have known that you'd eventually bring it up. You're mean."

"No, I'm not mean, and you know you don't really feel that way. I said it to tease you, but seriously, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now than here with you. So, shut up Will Horton, and let me make love to you." And I don't say one more word.


	9. Chapter 8

"So, shut up Will Horton, and let me make love to you." And I don't say one more word.

Not one more intelligent word at least, not one that is decipherable by the human ear, not a word, but instead a series of growls and pleasure-filled moans and cries with half of Sonny's name on my lips breaking through the faint movie dialogue still playing in the background. "Oh my god, oh jeez...Son..." A simple graze of his fingertips on my arm, his mouth hovering over my ear, his legs tangled in mine and I feel like I could burst.

***************  
And I do. And then I think I'm going to die. Of embarrassment, that is. I try to roll away from Sonny, but he doesn't let me. He wants me facing him, fine, but it doesn't mean that I have to look at him. I focus numbly on a wrinkle in the fitted sheet.

"Are you going to talk to me, Will? Please at least look at me," Sonny pleads, his voice wounded. But I'm not sure that I can. It's awkward laying there, his right hand is still wrapped around me, now covered in the release I just couldn't contain. Three minutes. That's all I was able to last. I'm humiliated. Maybe he's wishing now that he would have waited to proclaim his love for me. How could I - quick-draw-Will - ever be able to please him?

He's trying to be kind, his other hand caressing my shoulder, but I imagine he must be laughing at me, mocking my lack of stamina and my inexperience. How did we ever end up together? Now I'm convinced that we're in two drastically different places with little possibility of meeting anywhere near the middle. I attempt an apology, "Sonny, I'm so sor..." but he puts a finger to my lips, stopping me before I can say it. He simply shakes his head, leans in to kiss me softly on the lips and then does something so incredible, so unexpected, so amazing, that I am truly left speechless.

Sonny moves me gently, so that I am on my back. He moves his lips from mine to my neck, chest, hips and then down to where I am half-hard and throbbing still in his warm hand. As he lets go, I immediately miss his touch but don't have to wait long before his mouth replaces his firm grip. Wiping his hand off on the sheets, Sonny uses his tongue and lips to clean me. He doesn't take me completely into his mouth, instead he licks with a determination and pressure that leaves me breathless. It doesn't take long for me to become aroused again. He pulls himself up to my level and meets my eyes confidently.

"Will, first times are always fast, so I wanted to get that out of the way. A-ah, no, Will," he has to stop me from shifting away from him. "Remember what I said earlier? We have all night. So, snap out of your little premature ejaculation stupor so we can move this along, okay?"

At first I'm a little offended and more than slightly peeved. How dare he prey on my deepest insecurity? Pouting, I give him the evil eye, wanting him to know that I am not finding this at all humorous.

"Really, Will? You're giving me the look?" and his face breaks into a humongous grin.

"Really, Sonny? Premature ejaculation stupor?" and I suddenly can't stop myself from chuckling. He is adorable and sexy and it's impossible for me to stay mad. Soon, we are both on our backs, laughing openly, stomachs heaving as we try to catch our breath. Once we're calm, I turn just enough to rest my head on Sonny's shoulder. His arm moves up around my back to pull me in closer, and he nuzzles my hair with his nose. "I am sorry," I pause only long enough for me to take a breath and not long enough for him to interject, "But I couldn't help myself, I mean you felt so good, and I had been imagining this moment for so long...I guess everything I had pent up sort of exploded. Do you forgive me?"

"Are you done now? Do you feel better getting that off your chest? Because here's the deal, Will Horton, you have nothing to apologize for; in fact watching you while I stroked you, feeling you move and tense at my touch, that was pretty amazing. Seeing your mouth drop open, your eyes close and you whole body shudder beneath me, that was almost enough to make me cum, too." He smiles at my look of surprise. "And I certainly hope this isn't the only time you reach this point so quickly. When two people feel so strongly, want each other so much, time is not on our side. So, we enjoy it, don't get upset by it, and start getting ready for time #2."

"Seriously though, Sonny...this has happened to you before? It happens to other people, too?"

"Most definitely." He looks so sincere as he brushes away the hair that's fallen into my eyes. "Will, I love you, and I'm not going to stop. And now that your first is over, we can take our time...you'll be able to last a bit longer."

"Promise?" I know there are no guarantees, but I also know that I want desperately to make love with this man. I want to touch him, put him in my mouth, feel him inside of me. Feeling stronger, I roll on top of him, our bodies touching almost entirely. Sonny gasps as hips push together, our mutual hardness very apparent. Straddling him, knees flat on each side, I run my fingers through his hair and kiss him with a zeal I didn't know I had. I can't pull my eyes from his; he is so beautiful, so kind, intense and patient. "I do love you," I whisper to him, taken aback by my own boldness, "and I'd like to show you just how much. Help me show you, Sonny?" I implore him and watch as his eyes darken and focus on my tongue, which I'm running over my lips in anticipation. Unable to speak, he simply nods his head and captures my mouth in a searing kiss.

Still on top of him, I lose myself in this immense feeling of pleasure. Every part of me is on fire, so sensitive and hungry for him. I want to know every inch of him, every wrinkle, birthmark, mole, freckle. I want it all. Moving my mouth to his neck, I brush my lips so lightly against his tender skin and over to his ear. "Help me show you," I repeat, whispering into his ear. Sonny's breath hitches and he takes my hand in his, trails my fingertips down his chest to his hips to his hardness. I gasp as I feel the warm, taut skin of his cock for the first time. I trace my fingers up and down the shaft and around the head to its leaky tip. I swipe the wetness from his slit and use it so my hand glides more smoothly over his length. I'm moving on my own now, his hand back at his side, alternating his grip from the sheets to my hair. I watch him as his head falls back onto the bed, eyes pressing shut, mouth open and chin up.

"Would you like my mouth on you, Sonny?" I ask and his eyes pop open. He shakes his head from left to right. "Would you like to be inside of me, Sonny?" I don't even really know what I'm saying; I just blurt it out knowing instinctively that this is where we both want to be. His eyes open even wider and a quick look of concern crosses his face. "I want you inside of me, teach me how to get ready for you."

Without words, Sonny efficiently rolls us so that he is on top. Reaching across the bed to his nightstand drawer, he pulls out a tube and a small, square plastic-wrapped package. Sonny places himself between my legs, pushing my knees up closer to my chest and my hips and ass further off the bed. He slicks up one finger and traces circles around my hole. "Are you okay, Will?" he checks in, always wanting my permission before his next exploration. I can only nod and try to breathe.

His finger is inside of me, and I feel my body tighten around him. He starts to move it, in and out slowly, curling upward every few thrusts, much to my delight. Now my head is thrown back as he finds a rhythm with one and then two. He opens his fingers, loosening me up further as he grabs the condom with his other hand. "Will, honey, are you ready? It will hurt a little at first, but if you relax into it, let me do the work, I guarantee the pain will fade quickly. It does for me."

"Yes, Sonny, I am more than ready for you. Please..." and I leave my last plea hanging in the air. Sonny puts on the condom and lubes himself up heavily, making every effort to be as gentle and sweet as possible. He lifts my hips slightly from the bed as he prepares to enter me. "Is it easier to do if I'm on my stomach?" I stop to ask, halting his progress for just a second.

"Maybe, but I don't want that Will. I want to be able to see you. I want to watch your eyes and mouth when I first enter you; I want you to be able to see me, too. I want you to watch me as I cum inside of you."

"Okay," is all I can whisper as he presses his tip gently against my entrance, pushing it in just enough for my body to adjust to him. I pull my knees back closer to my chest and exhale, relaxing my muscles enough for him to enter me all the way. I cry out from the most intense feeling of pain and pleasure all wrapped into one. He rests inside of me once again, allowing my body to accommodate him completely. Starting a slow, gentle rhythm, I hear myself moan at his every thrust. I open my eyes, remembering Sonny's desire for me to watch him as he's making love to me. I've never seen the look he has on his face before. It is a combination of pleasure, passion, care, love. He is still making sure I am okay every step of the way.

"Will, you feel so amazing. You are so tight around me...I've never felt anything this incredible..." I am surprised by his declaration and tears spring to my eyes. I'm so relieved he is as moved by this as I am. I keep my eyes on him as he closes his, breath catching with each inhale, with each thrust. "I'm really close, Will, is that okay?" his eyes fly open and meet mine.

"Yes, Sonny, I want you to explode inside of me..." and he picks up his pace, pounding into me a little harder each time. His moans become louder, higher, and I love hearing him. I love knowing that I can make him feel this way. And though he's not touching my cock directly, the feel of his hair and stomach caressing me with every movement are quickly bringing me to the brink with him. With one final scream, Sonny's entire body starts to tremble as he let's go. He continues to move inside of me, his cock pulsing and pumping through his orgasm. I cannot even describe my feelings right now. He is still shuddering, cumming thoroughly, crying out my name, and I can't help but release, too. I coat his stomach and mine, my voice joining his as we ride out this wonderful journey together. He eventually slows to a stop and collapses on top of me. His breathing is still uneven, and I bring my hands up to run them across the skin of his back. He's a bit damp, little pearls of sweat collecting at the base of his spine where it meets his beautifully round cheeks.

"Will?" it's a one word question, heavily laced with concern and curiosity.

"Sonny," I manage as my body finally settles and snuggles him in closer, "that was the most amazing experience of my life. I love you so much." I can feel him smile against my chest.

"Really? You mean that, Will?" and he lifts his head to look at me. "So I'm forgiven for earlier?" He winks at me, and I playfully pinch his side.

"Ouch!" he exaggerates his response and pretends to look hurt.

"Don't you push that bottom lip out at me, mister. I'm liable to grab that with my teeth and have my way with it."

"Hmmmm...are you saying it's sexy when I do that?" he raises his eyebrows and bats his lashes at me, flirting obviously. He's very happy, I can tell. Neither of us can suppress the contented, blissful smiles that consume us. Besides the moment my daughter was born, I don't ever remember feeling such immense joy as I do right now with Sonny in my arms.

"Maybe," I flirt right back, moving my eyes to his full, swollen lips. God this man is gorgeous. And finally naked and in my bed. Well, technically it is his bed, but what does that matter as long as we're here together?

With a reluctant sigh, Sonny lifts himself off of me and goes in search of a damp cloth. He returns, lays on his side next to me and proceeds to wipe my stomach and chest clean. He does the same for himself after pulling and tying off his condom. Dropping everything to the floor, Sonny lifts the covers over us and tucks his head into the crook of my neck. I can smell us on each other and mingling with Sonny's innate spicy scent, every breath I take in is completely intoxicating. I wrap my arms around him and his hands find my chest hairs and my waist.

"Will?" he speaks softly, "really are you okay? Was that, ummm, okay for you?"

"No, Sonny, it wasn't okay. It was amazing, incredible, and mind-blowingly perfect. That's what it was. I hope it was okay for you...being my first...well, technically second time and all," I smile into his hair, waiting anxiously for his response.

"Absolutely perfect. I can't describe it any other way." He pauses to sort out his next thoughts before speaking. "You need to know how completely in love with you I am, Will. Making love with you, it has only multiplied my feelings for you. Even when I thought that was impossible and I was at my limit, I am astounded at the depth of my feelings. You have to know that this is the first time I've felt like this...so connected, so in sync with another person...and honestly it scares me to tell you that. "

"I'm glad you did," I gently reassure him, "and I feel the same way about you. I know that I want to spend a lot more time with you, Sonny. And it frightens me, too, to have fallen so hard so fast. I can't deny how right this feels, though, so I guess I'm willing to take my chances. Just don't break my heart too badly, okay?"

"I don't intend to break your heart at all, Will."

"I know. People usually don't intend on hurting the ones they love, but in my experience, it comes with the territory."

"Well, I hope to change that. Let's say we make a few promises to each other before we take this any further," he props himself on his elbow so he can look at me directly.

"Okay..." I'm a bit hesitant to commit to something this early into our relationship.

"Let's promise to always be truthful, even if it might hurt the other person initially. I want us to deal with issues together, to communicate about everything. I don't want this to get too heavy, so I'll just finish by saying that I promise to love you with all my heart and to share that same love and care with your daughter."

Deeply moved, I whisper my response, "I can do that - honesty, openness. I love you so much." I raise a hand to swipe away some tears that have fallen down my cheeks.

"Ready to get some rest?" Sonny smiles at me, his hand still tracing circles on my chest, finding their way to my sensitive nipples.

"No, I'm not." And I pull him to me greedily, wondering what unbelievable experiences our third time will bring.


	10. Chapter 10

*Just letting you know that I combined 9/10 as to have my chapters match the system's. It is one of my typically lengthy installments, so I suppose it could count as two! Thanks again to all readers and reviewers!*

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I peer over Sonny's shoulder to check the time on my cell phone - 1:45am. Sonny and I have been blissfully entertaining ourselves for the better part of 4 hours. When we weren't talking, we were cuddling, and when we weren't doing either of those, we were having the best sex of my entire life. Now, I know that I don't have much to use as a comparison, but I can tell from Sonny's - shall we call them, reactions - that we're pretty spectacular together. And I know he is experienced. So I take this as a good sign and silently congratulate myself for being able to make it longer than Sonny our last time around.

Aside from the soft light from the lamp Sonny turned on when we first came into his bedroom, the rest of the place is dark. The light in the room is just enough for me to see the outline of Sonny's features, and I find myself not able to take my eyes off of him. His eyes are closed, his mouth is slightly open, and the covers are only loosely tucked in around his waist. God is this man beautiful, I think to myself and my heart starts to pick up speed again. "Thank goodness you are asleep," I whisper as I continue to take in the amazing sight that is Sonny.

His hair is going in all different directions, and I love knowing that my hands were there many times throughout the night. In fact, I consider myself almost solely responsible for his new look - the mussed, I've-just-had-a-night-of-unbelievable-sex look. "Uh," I can't help but groan a little out loud wanting to get my hands back into his thick brown locks. I lick my lips and shiver slightly as my eyes continue to roam a bit further. Sonny's chest is perfect. The man is well-toned, he's so soft to the touch and his natural olive skin is strikingly exotic against the pale bedsheets. My eyes continue their descent, but what's under the sheet is going to have to be conjured up from memory as I don't want to disturb his peaceful rest. Well, actually, I DO want to disturb him, but I figure I owe him some rest since after my first, ah, moment, I have kept Sonny extremely occupied. I breathe out a contended sigh, and his nose twitches a little. I can't help but giggle, moving a hand quickly to stifle any sound, making sure I don't breathe on him again and wake him this time. Smiling, I close my eyes and bits and pieces of our amazing night together easily flood my mind.

"It's about time you stopped staring at me," Sonny speaks softly, breaking the silence and scaring the crap out of me. I pop my eyes open to see him grinning at me, snaking an arm around my neck to pull me in closer. He kisses me gently at first, then becomes more intense, winding his tongue in the corner of my mouth. Our tongues dance, and I can't help but think yet again how every time we touch, it's even more wonderful than the time before. Our kiss ends, and Sonny kisses my cheek, nose and ear before resting his head on my pillow. We nuzzle noses, giving Eskimo kisses as we just lay there, breathing in sync, looking into each other's eyes. Sounds so corny, I know, but it is the absolute truth, even if it does sound like I stole the line from a Danielle Steele novel. So many moments tonight have felt perfect. I will remember this for a long time. And hope that I don't have to wait too long to experience this again.

"I was not staring at you," I say obstinately.

"Were too," Sonny spats back with the same attitude.

"Was not! And how would you know anyway, you've had your eyes closed for like the last 20 minutes!"

"Ha!" Sonny shouts and wiggles his finger at me, "I was right! You WERE staring. If you weren't how else would you know that my eyes have been closed for, what did you say, Will, hmmmm...over 20 minutes." He gleefully uses that finger to poke me in the arm, and I pretend to be hurt by grabbing the spot and massaging.

"Ouch! You know I'm going to get a bruise there. I'm like my Grandma, and I bruise easily."

"Oh, my delicate wittle Will," Sonny teases me in his best cooing voice, "do I need to kiss it to make it better?" He opens those big, luscious brown eyes at me and smiles sweetly, showing me once again why those two features of his are my favorites. Well, almost my favorites. But they are a close 2nd and 3rd. When I give him nothing but a stern glance, he takes the liberty of assuming my answer is "yes" and leans over to place delicate, warm kisses on my arm. By the time he finishes brushing his lips up and down my bicep, I've truly forgotten what it was again that he agreed to kiss and make better. I can tell you a few things that feel much better, that's for sure. He finally breaks from his ministrations and meets my eyes with tumultuous force. The way that I'm looking at him is the same way he's looking at me. And our powerful gaze conveys only one thing to each other; one thing we are both thinking: I want you.

Without another word, we meet in the middle, lips finding the other's and latching on with great intensity. Soon we are rolling, tumbling, hands all over and bodies not wanting to be apart. I make my way down past Sonny's waist and stop for just a moment to admire my #1 favorite feature. Watching as he squirms beneath my stare, I am in awe of just how beautiful this man is to me. Without any further hesitation, I take his length into my mouth, relishing the firmness of his skin and saltiness from his tip. I don't have him all the way in my mouth; I'm still a little scared I'll gag, but I do my best to lick up and down the shaft, tease the delicate softness of the head and use my hand to pump at the base. Sonny is moving now, he's trying hard to be gentle, knowing I'm still so new at all of this. "Will," he manages hoarsely, "you feel so amazing. I love having your lips on me..." He lets that last sentence hang in the air, as his confession gives me the courage I need to take him all the way to the back of my throat. "Ahhhh!" is Sonny's only response, so I gather I've done okay for such an unexperienced guy.

"Will," Sonny mutters trying to regain some control, and he puts his hands in my hair to pull me up to look at him. His cock still deep in my mouth, he gasps when I suck with a little more pressure as we stare at each other. "God, Will, please, hold up for a minute," he breathes out once I release him. "I kind of want to try something, are you up for a new position?" He grins at me with hunger in his eyes and his smile.

"A new position?" I am caught off guard by his proposition. I pull myself up so I'm parallel to him. "Sonny, I've barely just learned the basics, and now you want to introduce something new into the picture? It makes me a bit nervous." When my eyes meet his, all I see now is love and tenderness. I know he will guide me, and I know that if this is at all like any of the other positions we've been enjoying for the last 4 hours, then this will be just as incredible. I nod, trusting him with every ounce of my being.

"H-have you heard of '69'?" I give him a knowing look, as if every teenaged boy hasn't mentioned it at some point during their fantasy-filled conversations in the locker room with friends. "I'm gathering from your look that you have," he pauses to wink at me. "Well, I've never actually done it. But I've heard - and seen it, only in movies, of course - and everybody involved seems to enjoy it greatly. Would you be up for giving it a try?" He smiles sheepishly at me, and I am taken aback by his shyness. I find his vulnerability completely intoxicating and know that I am willing to try anything this man has to offer...as long as we try together.

"Sure, " I whisper trying to sound equally as hesitant, only to shock him with my new-found boldness, "I really like the idea of your cock in my mouth while mine is in yours. We can taste each other at the same time." And I don't even blush as I say that. Who is this new guy impersonating Will Horton? Sonny must be thinking the same thing because his breath catches in his throat as he closes his eyes and shudders.

"Damn, Will, you take my breath away. You, you are so fucking amazing." Sonny smashes his lips against mine, not wasting one more minute. His tongue follows shortly after, and his hand strokes my hardness firmly. I move one of my hands to the back of his head, grasping onto dark locks as I try to pull him even closer. My other hand finds its way downward, and before I can make it to him, he grabs my hand and adds it to his, stroking me until I'm rock hard.

"Oh, Sonny, please, I'm ready, I really want my mouth on you." His eyes search mine, watching for the slightest of hesitations, but he sees the exact opposite. He sees my desire for him, my passion openly staring at him, pleading for more. He simply nods and turns to shift himself so his head is towards the foot of the bed. As soon as he is there, I cannot wait. I position his legs on either side of my head, take him wholly between my lips and reach my hands to his hips for balance. He does the same with me, taking me all the way in, closing his lips around me. The feeling is exquisite. The way we talked about this position in junior high made it sound kind of dirty. But it's far from it. It is astounding and incredible and I feel like I'm having an out of body experience. Except I am extremely happy to be in my body right now, enjoying Sonny's everything on and in mine.

"Will, I'm about there...are you? Can we watch each other cum?" We pull off of each other and Sonny rolls to the side just in time for us to watch our endless release bubble and dance like fountains. "Wow," we both say in unison and chuckle breathlessly. Sonny takes the towel from the floor and cleans me up before himself. Moving back up to the head of the bed, he kisses me softly, tracing my eyebrows with his fingers. "I love you so much, Will," and he snuggles me into the crook of his shoulder and rests his cheek in my hair.

"I love you, too, Sonny. Thank you for making my first time so amazing. I don't remember the last time I was this happy," I end groggily, the exertions of the night finally catching up with me and I can't help but start to drift off to sleep.

Gently caressing my arm that's wrapped around his waist, Sonny whispers into my hair, unsure of whether or not I'm still awake enough to hear him, "I know I've never been this happy before Will, until you came along. My beautiful, sexy, innocent, and totally captivating Will. Now rest, sleepyhead, because if I have my way, you're going to need lots more energy for what I've got in store for you tomorrow." I can't help but smile as I let go and give in to well-earned sleep.

I blink my eyes open to the sound of my cell phone ringing. I crawl across Sonny's empty side of the bed and look at the screen to see who is calling. It's Gabi. Shoot. I don't want to get it, I'm having such an incredible time here lost with Sonny in our own little world, but the reality is that I have a daughter, who could be hurt or sick or something. Reluctantly, I answer, like a good dad, "Hi Gabi, what's going on?" I'm a bit short with her, but I want her to know that she needs to be quick and get to the point. I'm not in the mood to chat.

"Daddy?" instead I hear a small little voice, shaky and uncertain.

"Arianna!" I am surprised and instantly worried. "Honey are you okay? Where's Mommy?"

"I'm okay, Daddy," she says softly, and I breathe a huge sigh of relief. "But Mommy is really upset. It's kind of scaring me."

"It's okay sweetie. Put Mommy on the phone, will you?" I want her to feel comforted despite the fact that I'm struggling to contain my anxiety.

"Daddy, I can't."

"Arianna? Is Mommy okay? Why can't she come to the phone?" I am desperate and almost in tears.

"She locked herself in the bathroom, Daddy. I've tried to get her to come out, but she just tells me to go away and leave her alone. I've been playing with my Barbies for a long time, Daddy, but I'm starting to get hungry. Could you come home and fix me something to eat?" Now not only am I worried, but I'm pissed, too. How could Gabi even think it's okay to leave a 5 year-old alone in a house without supervision...even if she is in the other room? I start to move from the bed, gathering various articles of clothing that have made themselves around the room.

"Okay, Arianna, I'm going to be there soon. Just sit tight, go back to playing with your Barbies like a good girl. I'll come home to make you something to eat. How does that sound?" I try to speak with a calmness I do not feel.

"Good, Daddy. That sounds good. I'll see you soon." And with that she hangs up. I shake my head almost in disbelief as I hop on one foot, trying to get a sock on.

"Hmmm," Sonny appears in the doorway with two cups of coffee, "you look awfully cute like that." Taking in my frenetic energy, he adds worriedly, "Will, what's wrong? What's going on?" He sets the coffee down and comes to me, holding my shoulders steady.

"Arianna just called," I stop to take in a deep breath.

"I thought I heard your phone ring."

"Well, apparently Gabi has locked herself in the bathroom and won't let Arianna in and won't come out. Arianna says it sounds like she's been crying. But what frustrates me the most is that she's left my baby alone in the house, relying on a 5 year old to play safely on her own. What kind of mother does that, Sonny? What's wrong with her? I need to get home to Arianna now." I'm wrestling with raw emotion right now, so worried for my little girl.

"Yes, Will, you do," and he immediately starts helping me get my jeans and t-shirt on. "I'm going to pour your coffee in a to-go mug. And promise me that you'll call me as soon as you get there. I want to make sure Arianna...and everyone is all right." Sonny rushes out of the bedroom as I finish putting my belongings in pockets.

Walking out into the kitchen, I see Sonny has not only got coffee in a travel mug for me, but he has two homemade muffins, from his coffee shop, in a bag for me to take along. "One is for you and one is for Arianna. This should keep her tied over until you can make her something." I am more than amazed and touched by his sweet gesture. This man, whom I love dearly, loves me and cares for my daughter, too. What did I ever do to deserve him? If I wasn't rushing home to Arianna, I would take some serious time to show him just how appreciative I am.

"Sonny, I'm so sorry to have to leave like this. I wanted to enjoy the day together with you..." I smile apologetically at him. I love my daughter, but I really did just want to spend a lazy day in and out of bed with the most wonderful man in the world.

"It's okay, Will." He hands me the bag with the muffins and leans in to give me a kiss goodbye. Our lips meet tenderly, and I start moving mine against his, not wanting to go. As I start to open my mouth, Sonny takes my top lip in his and releases it gently. "Time for you to go." I grab the mug of coffee and head for the door. Turning back one last time, I try to express just a fraction of my gratitude.

"I - thank you so much for everything. Arianna will appreciate the muffin. Oh, but don't think I'm not grateful for last night, trust me, I am. It was the most amazing night I've ever had. I love you, Sonny, and I'll call when I get home."

Sonny walks to me, kisses me on the cheek, and waves as he shuts the door. "I love you, too, Will. I'll talk to you soon." And I take off jogging down the hall, away from my amazing boyfriend, and rush to get to my car so I can get home to my daughter as fast as possible.


	11. Chapter 11

Turning the key in the lock, I rush in looking frantically for my daughter.

"Arianna?" I call out to her, and I hear no response. Oh god, I think to myself, I told her to stay put! She better be okay! I'm already so pissed off at Gabi, but if Arianna has gotten hurt because of her selfish behavior, I will never be able to forgive her.

Walking through the house, I am relieved to see Arianna sitting quietly on her bed, headphones on, watching a movie on the iPad. I run to her and she looks up, startled at first, and then so incredibly happy to see me.

"Daddy!" she pulls off the headphones and leaps into my arms.

"Hi pumpkin! Are you okay?" I set her down and start examining her to make sure she is unharmed.

"I'm okay, Daddy. I'm better now that you're here."

"Good," and I kiss her forehead and hug her close to me, "now let's go get you something to eat."

"Aren't you going to go see Mommy first?" Arianna asks me, blue eyes wide with concern.

"No, I'm not right now. She can take care of herself, and if she wants to be alone, than I'll leave her that way." Arianna looks worried, like she might cry.

"Honey don't worry. I'll go talk to her in a little while. But first, we need to get you some food!"

"Yes!" she chimes in and runs out of her bedroom and into the kitchen.

Feeding her the muffin Sonny sent along and nibbling on the one he included for me, I pick up my cell phone and call his number.

"Will, is Arianna fine? You alright? She isn't hurt, is she?" Sonny rushes his questions, not letting me respond.

"Yes, Sonny, she's just fine. In fact she was in her room watching a movie on the iPad when I got here. I'm so relieved that she plays so well by herself and that she's so good about staying out of trouble."

"Thank goodness." I hear him sigh with relief. "And what about Gabi?" he asks more tentatively.

"I don't know yet. My priority is Arianna and once she's taken care of, then I'll worry about Gabi. She wanted to be left alone...so I'm going to do that." I know I still sound quite perturbed, and Sonny says just the perfect thing to calm me.

"Babe, your daughter is fine, everything at home is fine. Just give Gabi a chance to explain, will ya? All of this - the divorce, the move, the changes - it has to be hard for her."

"You are being awfully understanding there, Son. Did you forget she left my 5 year old daughter alone in this house unsupervised while she locked herself in the bathroom so she could have a good cry?" I am angry and yell a bit louder than I intend. Arianna looks up at me from her muffin, and I have to settle the raw emotions that are causing me such frustration. "Baby, it's okay...keep eating your muffin," I whisper to her away from the phone's speaker. "I've got chicken nuggets in the oven, and I'll cut up some apple and orange slices for you." Seeing Arianna nod and smile, I go back to my conversation with Sonny.

"Did she like the muffin?" he asks me shyly.

"What do you say, pumpkin, do you like the muffin?" I ask Arianna as she snarfs down the last of it, spilling crumbs all down the front of her dress.

"Yes!" she mumbles, her mouth still full, "is that Sonny?" She spits muffin out of her mouth when she says his name. If I hadn't been so terrified about her well-being just minutes ago, I would make her finish what is in her mouth before talking to him. But right now, I don't care.

"It is. Do you want to say 'hi' while I get the rest of your lunch together?" Her eyes light up and she runs over to me, hands out for my phone.

"Hi," for how excited she is to talk to him, I am surprised by her timid greeting. I pull the nuggets from the oven and pour some ranch dressing in a small bowl. Adding the sliced apples and oranges to her plate, I listen in and hear a variety of "mm-hmms" and "yas" and lots of giggles. Sonny is so incredible with her. I have to be the luckiest man in the entire world.

After a quick "bye Sonny," Arianna hands the phone back to me and starts devouring her lunch.

"Arianna," I scold, "slow down. The nuggets will still be hot, so take it easy. Don't make yourself sick, please." I watch as she very slowly lifts an apple to her mouth, like she's moving in slow motion. Rolling my eyes at her, I lean back on the counter and laugh into the phone. "So, how was your chat with Arianna?"

I hear him chuckle softly, and I wish I was there to see his eyes sparkle when he does. "Yes, we had a great talk. She is happy you are home, a little worried about her Mommy but ultimately, she's moved on from the incident already. She asked me when I could come over to play."

"Hmmm...she's sneaky that one. She's always trying to lure you over here to play with her, plus she got to sleep in your bed before I did. I think you like her better than me." I tease and wait for him to reassure me otherwise.

"I suppose maybe I do." I hear silence followed by satisfied laughter, and I pretend to be hurt.

"I knew it!"

"Will, I do love your daughter, but I do because she is so much like her Daddy. You both are hard to resist. But as for who I like better, I thought I clearly demonstrated that to you several times last night." He teases sexily, and I am starting to have a problem catching my breath.

"Yes, uh-hum," I clear my throat, "you sure did. I wish I was still there so you could ummm...demonstrate a little more."

"In time, Will Horton. We have lots of that. And I'm not planning on going anywhere soon."

"Good. I'm counting on that." I feel better knowing he's staying in this relationship, daughter and ex-wife drama and all.

"Will, I love you. Last night was amazing." I hear the smile in his voice.

"It most definitely was. I love you, too." How does that seem to flow so easily from my lips? We've known each other for how long now? A few months? And I'm in love. Hopelessly, totally in love. "I have to go now, Son. Arianna is done with her lunch, and I think it's about time I find out what's up with Gabi. Can I call you later?"

"Of course, Will. Good luck."

"Thanks, Sonny, for everything. I'll talk to you soon." I hang up the phone and head to the hallway outside the bathroom.

((((((&))))))

"Gabi," I call out to her knocking on the door.

"Will, why are you home?" She's got to be kidding, right? She leaves our child alone and wonders why I rushed here to make sure everything is alright. Why does her mothering instinct only seem to work part-time?

"Gabi, our daughter called me on your phone. She told me you had locked yourself in the bathroom and were crying. Arianna was quite upset and was quite scared, too. Do you not realize that you've been in there for over 2 hours now?" And I was underestimating since I didn't know for sure how long she had been in the bathroom before Arianna called me.

"Oh my god, Will," I hear her gasp audibly and soon the lock clicks and the door opens. "Oh my god, is she alright? I'm so sorry...I had no idea I was in here for that long!"

"Yes, thankfully we have a smart, responsible 5 year old. She was watching a movie on the iPad when I got home." I give Gabi a you-are-so-frickin'-lucky look that makes her hang her head in shame.

"Will..." she tries to explain. I want none of it.

"Gabi, whatever is going on, you need to figure out a way to deal with it without putting our daughter in danger."

"Will, I feel so awful. I-I was just so mad and hurt, and I didn't know what to do. I didn't want Arianna seeing me in such a state."

"Well, you certainly made sure of that when you locked her out." I pause to make sure she once again shows some sign of regret. "Anyway, she's fine, but you obviously aren't. What happened that's so horrible?"

"Um...well.."

"Gabi, tell me." I have zero patience for her right now.

She senses that and blurts out, "I got fired. That's what's so horrible!" she shouts at me, tears starting to well up in her already swollen eyes.

"Fired? How Gabi? And why?" this is bad, but I think that it could be worse.

"I didn't know that there was a company policy against dating a co-worker. My boss caught us...um...kissing in his office, and we were both let go on the spot. She didn't even give me a chance to explain!" Gabi crosses her arms defiantly and sits back on the edge of the tub.

"Gabi, I'm not going to lecture you about this, because clearly you feel badly enough about it. So, what's your plan now?" I need to know that our agreement and the plan set forward by the courts will still be followed. I need to know that she's still moving completely out of this apartment on Tuesday. She hesitates before she answers.

"Will, I'm going to lose my apartment. If I don't have a job then I can't pay rent. Rafe doesn't have enough room in his smaller place for both me and Arianna when she visits. Besides you, I have no one else, Will."

"Woah, wait a minute. What do you mean besides me?"

"Well, I am your ex-wife and mother of your child. Are you really going to make me follow the court-ordered plan when I no longer have a job?" Gabi's tone softens, she's trying to butter me up, to get me to feel sorry for her. I'm not falling for it.

"No, Gabi, no, no, no. You've already been living here 3 months past the original date listed in the divorce decree." I thought things could be worse. I was wrong.

"I know, Will. You have to understand that I want to move out, I want to let you move on with your life and I want to move on with mine. Trust me, I don't want to have to stay here any longer." She says this so matter-of-factly, that I am taken back by her presumption. "But do you honestly think that me staying here isn't the best thing for our family under the circumstances? I'll be here for Arianna just a little longer than planned."

Fighting her is futile. I know that I have to give in and allow Gabi to live here until she gets back on her feet. I know that I have to accept the fact that my daughter's mommy needs a place to stay - again. Baby daddy to the rescue - again.

"Fine, Gabi. But just like before, this is temporary and once you get another job, you'll be back on your way to getting your own place. Is that clear?" I am angry and tired, and right now, tired is winning.

"Mommy," Arianna peeks out of her room at us in the hallway, "is Mommy okay?"

"Yes, sweetie," Gabi moves swiftly to her and gives her a big hug.

"I'm so sorry that I left you here alone this morning. I wasn't thinking..."

"It's okay. Daddy came to help and now I'm fine." She smiles at me. "By the way, Daddy, do you know if Sonny is coming over to play catch with me today?"

"Oh!" I suddenly remember that Sonny wanted to hear back from me as soon as all was safe and sound. Jeez, what am I going to tell him? The truth, 'yeah, my ex-wife is still going to be living here with me and Arianna indefinitely now even though our divorce decree says she should have moved out months ago.' So much for planning my first night with Sonny alone together here at MY house. Say hello to sleeping on the day bed in my office /bedroom instead of the comfy queen sized sleep number bed in the master room.

"Will, I promise I'm going to find a job in this town and start work immediately." Gabi adds on quickly, "I need to get my own place just as badly as you need me out of this place."

"Damn right," and although I am still mad as hell, I am relieved that she finally recognizes how important it is for us to live separate lives. "Fine, Gabi, you can stay here no more than 2 more months, okay?" She nods her head thankfully.

"You don't know how much this means to me, Will," Gabi smiles and tries to give me a hug. I shrug her off, still ticked at this recent and unpredicted series of events. "No more than 2 months, Gabi, you promised!" I remind her loudly as she heads into Arianna's room to apologize and tell her that Mommy will be staying a little longer than planned.

((((((&))))))

We are ten minutes into our phone conversation and things have gone horribly awry. I'm trying to explain to Sonny the reasons I can't just turn my friend - and mother of my child - out into the street without a place to live.

"Will, you have been more than generous for many years, and she just keeps on taking your friendship for granted." Sonny tries to talk me out of allowing Gabi to stay longer.

"But Sonny, her circumstances are different..."

"They always are with her, Will. At what point do you stop putting your life on hold for her? At what point do you get to move on without having to support her, or take care of her, or cover for her? Will, I like to think that I'm an understanding guy, but I'm starting to feel like there are four of us in this relationship, not two. Jumping to rescue Arianna, that is just being a good father. Jumping to rescue Gabi, a grown adult who has never been a good mother to her daughter or even a good friend to you, that I don't get. Will, she's manipulating you, and you're letting her." Sonny's voice is curt and aggressive. I haven't ever heard this side of him before.

"Sonny, she's not. She just needs more time."

"How long are you going to let her stay?"

"I gave her two months," I don't have to wait long for Sonny's thoughts on that.

"What, Will!" he's frustrated with me, and I've never heard him so angry.

"Sonny, maybe we should hang up. I don't feel like we're getting anywhere. I've made my decision, and you can either support me or not. I hope that you want to stick around, I mean, I hope this doesn't ruin the amazing experience we shared last night." I let my voice get deeper and raspier, so I'm almost whispering. For some reason I think that will soften him, will get him to realize that he's freaking out over nothing. He doesn't say anything at all. "Sonny?"

"Will, I'm with you because I love you, but I need you to know this. I don't think that Gabi is going to go away easily. She's learned to rely on you for everything and breaking that cycle is really hard to do. I feel like you are enabling her...allowing her to continue to stay with you, making excuses for her when she backs out of her scheduled weekends with Arianna. In my opinion, you cut her way to much slack and she takes advantage of you and your kind heart."

"Sonny, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. Now, I really need to go. Arianna has a project to finish for school tomorrow, and I need to move some boxes back into the house."

"Okay, Will. Are we going to be able to see each other soon? Because I miss you already." Sonny is making peace, trying to restore harmony in our relationship, but for me, the scales have been tipped. When I thought for sure - out of everybody in my life - that Sonny would be there to support me no matter what, he turns out to be the one who doubts me the most. And what did he mean by us having a relationship of four? He knew up front that I have a daughter and at the time, a wife, too. I never kept anything from him, never left details out just because they might be hard to deal with. I guess I know now that he might not be ready to be in a relationship with a divorced, single dad.

"I actually have a really busy schedule these next couple of days. So, can I just call you when I have some time?" I know that I'm hurting him by saying this. I know that he's surprised by my sudden aloofness, but I can't pretend I'm not affected by what he said. I can't pretend that in a way, I feel like he's no longer on my side.

"Will, don't do this, please..." he pleads with me, but I'm too hurt right now, too stubborn to back down.

"Sonny, I have to go, okay? I just need a little time, so I'll call you."

"I love you, Will." Sonny says to me, his typically steady voice cracking with emotion.

"I know. Take care of yourself, Sonny, and I'll talk to you soon." I hang up my phone and bury my head in my hands. I'm in shock that Sonny and I could share such an amazing night together and the very next day, get into such a colossal fight. Relationships are so complicated, I think to myself. Perhaps I'm better off without one. I have Arianna, and my family, and Gabi. Maybe that's all I need.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Welcome back winstons1984 as Sonny! This starts right where Chapter 11 leaves off. It felt like the perfect time to bring Sonny back in for his perspective, so this is Sonny's POV just after Will ends their call. ** **Winstons1984 is primarily responsible for this great chapter, though we did do a little brainstorming of ideas and I added a few lines here and there. Thank you winstons1984...it's a joy to share a chapter with you once again. **

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I hear the line go dead as Will ends our call, taking not only his voice but all of the air out of the room with it. I'm struggling to breathe, somehow I've lost the ability. My chest feels tight, I'm gasping for air and starting to panic, until finally my brain clicks in by instinct and takes over. Although I've mastered the breathing thing again, I'm still not able to process what exactly just happened between me and Will. Did he really dismiss me so coldly? I stay seated on the kitchen chair; my mind is suddenly absent of all thought. My eyes are fine, I'm sure of it, even though I can no longer see what is right in front of me. I continue to sit silently and listen to the rhythm of my breathing. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Time passes but nothing happens.

Finally I snap out of my trance and look down at my phone. It is 4:09. Will called me at 2:55. Wow, I lost over an hour; it was almost as if I had completely blacked out for a while there. This contemplating is getting me nowhere, and I need to do something...anything to distract me. I start water for tea, find my favorite, chamomile, and hope that it will help me relax and think calmly. Once the tea is ready, I sit back down and try to make sense of what's happened, replaying scenes my mind.

I think back to last night, remembering the glorious softly lit moments where I was inches from Will's face looking in to his bright excited eyes. I can almost feel the warmth of Will's body from my shoulder to my toes as we lay in bed with our arms circling each other. There was a perfect feeling of unity. Everything was us.

Then there was the morning, when Will got the phone call, and I was everything I was supposed to be, supportive, understanding and loving. Seeing the look of gratitude mixed with amusement when I handed Will the muffins for himself and Arianna was so rewarding. I was completely on the right track and everything was perfect. I had everything I ever wanted or needed. I had Will.

Now, I have nothing. How could I let it slip through my fingers so quickly?

It was barely ten minutes into our conversation when Will told me that Gabi wasn't moving out. When he said he had something to tell me, I didn't ever expect this would be it. But he had agreed to let her stay longer because she got fired and needed to find another job. I was in shock. I'm still in shock. How can he let her take advantage of him like that? He has been so patient with her already, and she has been just short of abusive in return. I felt myself growing angrier by the second. How dare she treat Will this way! He needed to stop putting his life on hold for her, he needed to move on! Those were hard words for me to say to him, but I needed him to know that even if no one else seemed to put him first, I was determined to change that. I wanted to put him first in my life. I still do.

I really believe that I have been understanding. I've been helpful and committed to Arianna. Hell! I'm pretty sure I've been a better parent to Arianna than Gabi has during the last few months since I've known Will, but it was starting to feel like there were four of us in this relationship rather than two. Why was Gabi's friendship so important to him? Will had said to me before that she wasn't even being good friend right now, let alone a good mother.

Then suddenly the falseness of this hits me. Logically these were all good reasons, but if I am being honest with myself, I need to admit something I'm not entirely ready to accept. The truth is, I am jealous. I am jealous of Gabi and maybe a little of Arianna, but mostly of Will's ex-wife. I am jealous that she has had the last five years with him. I hate that she uses him when it's convenient for her and then avoids him when it's convenient for her. Despite them having a child together, Gabi has somehow managed to make just about everything over the last years all about her. Will deserves so much better than that. It breaks my heart.

And what breaks my heart even more is that after Will and I share the most amazing night together, Gabi conveniently needs him again, and I quickly become his last priority. Again, if I am being honest, I am deeply hurt by the news that Gabi isn't moving out. Don't get me wrong, I love having Will at my place, but I also want to spend time at his place so we can both spend time with Arianna. As long as Gabi is living there, I don't think I'll feel comfortable.

Mostly, I am furious at Gabi. She is manipulating Will, and he is letting her. Why can't he see this? He is so generous, so sweet, and he just doesn't deserve to be treated this way. My intention all along has been to protect Will, but of course it didn't come out that way over the phone earlier. I think in the end what I mostly did was just list out and explain my frustrations, which was probably the last thing he needed. He is getting pressure from Gabi and now he is getting pressure from me too. I know he needs support. Why can't I give that to him? Why am I putting my needs first? But really I'm not...I only want him to believe in himself enough to know that what Gabi is doing is wrong! Ugghh! This isn't helping. I am just confusing myself further. And it's certainly not helping me or Will or our relationship.

The worst part of the call was when I asked how long he was going to let her stay. I was honestly astonished when he said two months. I was expecting two or three weeks, and I am sorry to admit that I was even angrier at that point, and I am not even sure what I said. I am pretty sure I don't want to know what I said, because it was all downhill from there.

There was that brief moment of hope when Will referred to our experience together last night in his deep, sexy voice. Oh god, just those words brought back a flood of dreamy images of Will's body connected to mine in one way or another. It was so vivid that I was certain I could even smell that distinct Will scent. I knew I needed to speak, and I think this time I actually put my words together pretty well, considering.

I took a few moments to try to recall what I said, so that I could picture what Will might have felt at that point. After a few moments, I think I had it pretty close: 'Will, I'm with you because I love you, but you should know this. I don't think that Gabi is going to go away easily. She's learned to rely on you for everything and breaking that cycle is going to be hard to do. I feel like you are enabling her...allowing her to continue to stay with you, making excuses for her when she backs out of her scheduled weekends with Arianna. In my opinion, you cut her too much slack and she takes advantage of you and your kind heart.'

I think that is what I said, and it wasn't that bad. It was relatively balanced, but Will's reaction was not good. I basically lost him at that point, if I hadn't already done so before. That is when he says we would need to agree to disagree, and then he starts talking about Arianna and how busy he is going to be over the next few days. Translation - he'll be too busy for me. I have truly become his last priority. It hurts so much! He is still my first priority...and I want him to always be my first priority.

Deep down, I know that I'm right, but being right won't bring Will back into my arms or back to my bed. Being right won't help Will deal with the Gabi situation no matter how much I explain my valid points. Being right, so far, has done nothing more than separate me from the love of my life.

I ask to see him, and what I get in return are shallow, transparent excuses and the flimsy promise that he'll call me when he has some time. He sounds like he's trying to give me the brush off after a bad first date.

At this point in the call, my heart is clenched so tight I feel like an anvil is resting on my chest. I am defeated, reduced to begging. That is when I make my two last pleas: 'Will, don't do this, please...' and 'I love you, Will.' As I said the last words, I had tears in my eyes, and I could barely control the pitch of my voice. I am sure Will heard that, but did he take pity on me? No. He didn't even say he loved me back. He said 'take care of yourself, Sonny.' I think that hurts more than everything else combined. I really feel like I did everything I could. I was balanced and fair, and he couldn't even say he loved me after the incredible night we shared. So, that settled it for me. It was clearly his decision to separate us and take some time. Now he would need to be the one to reconnect us.

I am determined to take our time apart to recharge as much as possible. I go to the grocery store to stock up, and then I clean the apartment from top to bottom. It's now 9:30pm and I'm exhausted from the physical activity, the emotional drain and plus, we really didn't get much sleep the night before. We spent much more time making love. Oh god, how can I sleep without him after last night? Well, I guess that I have to find a way, because he isn't coming over. And he won't even take my calls.

Tired and spent, I decide that one glass of red wine can only help. I sip the wine while I get everything ready for work tomorrow. I'm glad I have to work...the last thing I need is a day off without Will. I finish my wine, brush my teeth and climb into the large empty bed. Trust me when I say that I tried to sleep, but I was smelling Will everywhere, and I felt that crushing ache again in my chest. I thought about changing the sheets, but I'm tired and I know it won't really help anyway. Finally, physical exhaustion gets the better of me and grants a little sleep.

The alarm wakes me the next morning, and I just know something is wrong. It only takes a moment or two to realize that Will and I are fighting, separated - estranged, I guess. Not together at any rate. I fall into my old routines...get ready for work, put my all into a busy shift, visit my parents, close up again and head home. That night I am able to sleep even less than the night before, and I have to work another long and busy shift the next day. But my brain just won't stop. What could I do to bring him back to me? I decide to count ideas instead of sheep.

I could beg or kidnap him. Oh, Sonny, be serious! I could admit I was wrong and he was right. But Gabi really is taking advantage of him, and that's the main concern I have for him that I won't take back. Maybe I shouldn't have said there were four in the relationship? Will has always been completely honest about his obligations, and I love him and Arianna. And no matter how hard it is to admit, Gabi is his friend, his best friend. What I should have done and need to do now is support him and try to understand his point of view. I can do that. I really do miss him terribly, and I don't feel fully myself without him. He has changed me permanently. Now I can never be Sonny without Will. Not possible. I would merely be a shade of my true self.

OK, so now that I have figured that out, what do I do? How do I connect with him without being intrusive? And then it hit me - the perfect gesture. I will send him flowers, not roses or anything bright or romantic. I'll send lilies. They are beautiful, graceful and unassuming. Most importantly, they mean 'I am sorry' and 'please forgive me' which is exactly what I need to convey. Maybe the flower shop is still open. I take a chance and call as as I know it will help settle my mind even just a little. I am extremely lucky, they are still open, and I place the order and dictate a message for the card. "Dear Will, I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I miss you more than you can imagine. Love, Sonny."

I sleep pretty well that night and wake early for another busy shift at Common Grounds. What keeps me going this time is imagining Will's face when he receives the flowers. In my visions he is surprised and happy, and the twinkle in his eyes returns when he reads my card.

Toward the end of my shift, my happy dreams are dashed. I can see, coming through the front door, a flower delivery man. He carries in his hands an arrangement of lilies. This isn't a common order, so I know, in my broken heart, that these are my flowers to Will being returned. He refused them, and I couldn't help but feel like he was refusing me and our second chance.


	13. Chapter 13

I have decided that I am either the biggest f**k up on the face of this planet, or I am the smartest guy, for having saved myself from the pain of heartbreak and abandonment. Though I am hoping that I have done what is ultimately best for all of us - me, Arianna, Gabi and Sonny - I am also plagued by the terribly sickening feeling that I've messed up one of the best things ever to come into my life. But I have no time to think of that now. I have to get laundry done so Arianna and I have clean clothes for the week, and I need to help Gabi bring in some of the moving boxes she had already packed in her car.

The idea of her staying here longer makes me more sad than angry. Don't get me wrong, I am pi**ed that she's not leaving yet, but I also know that I could never - would never - kick her out away from her family. That's what my life felt like for so long when I was a child. Who wanted me and who didn't? Which parent would I stay with this time? And if I was with my Mom, and she needed to go out (and I use the word "need" loosely), and my Dad happened to also be busy, I'd get shuffled from Grandma's house to the pub with Great Grandma Caroline or to any other miscellaneous relative that was willing to have me around for a while. Going back and forth without having a say made me feel so little, so insignificant...so invisible. I won't let anyone important to me ever feel like that. So, I'm dealing with Gabi's way over-extended stay to make sure Arianna knows that both parents are there for her and always will be.

While I've been doing a stellar job up until now of convincing myself that being alone and focusing on being the best Dad I can to my daughter is the right thing to do, it's not working so well today. And I know why. Before all my excuses had been about the other guy: he's too immature and can't handle me having a daughter, he's far too young or he's far too old, he's in a different place in his life than I am, and the best one and most often used in my head, just sex can never be enough for me. Today is different. For the first time, I have no excuse for the guy. Because, quite frankly, Sonny is perfect. None of the reasons I just ticked off in my head apply to him. And this time, for the first time, I am making excuses for myself: maybe I'm not ready for how deeply affected I've been by him in such a short time, I can't focus on a relationship while Gabi is still living here...and her daughter needs her, and I can never allow myself (and my daughter) to be left by someone who we have both fallen in love with. That's the reason I was rude and cold to Sonny earlier. I wasn't going to allow even the possibility that Sonny would change his mind about me, about Arianna, and break up with us. Disagreeing with him about Gabi was just the first sign to me that we weren't on the same page after all. Better to stop things now before falling any deeper. Already my heart hurts more than it ever has before.

"Gabi," I call out to her as I bring in the last box from her car.

"Yes, Will?"

"I need some time in my room alone. Could you watch Arianna for the rest of the night?" I am not pushy about it, I am calm and a little sad.

Gabi comes out to the kitchen and nods her head at me. "Will, yes, you deserve some time alone. I'm sorry to lay all of this on you. I just feel like this is the only real home I have...and have ever had. But I mean what I said about finding a job and moving out. I will as soon as I can."

"I know, Gabi," I reply as I walk to my room and close the door. In my heart, I know that even if she does a terrible job of being there for me and her daughter most of the time, Gabi does really love Arianna and knows deep down that we need to both move on with our lives. We've relied on each other for far too long to fill the void of loneliness caused by our aversion to romantic relationships. She's here, I'm here, we share a bond through our daughter, and we keep each other company. It's easy, and we don't get our hearts broken. But we are miserable and living like this will never, ever be enough.

I felt like I HAD enough with Sonny, just one day ago. How quickly I made sure to change that. No matter how justified I feel, felt, well, still sort of feel, I can't deny that I miss him. It's only been three hours since I last heard his voice, and I miss him so much. I picture his smile and the way his dark eyelashes flutter and brush against my temple when we kiss. I feel the sensation of skin on skin, hands and lips exploring, our bodies joining together as one. The memory of making love is so vivid and intense that I have trouble catching my breath. What I can't get out of my head though isn't physical; it's the moment Sonny told me he loved me even before having sex. That was the most amazing feeling knowing that our connection was deeply rooted, each bound to the other at our very core, loving the other because that was the only way we would be whole.

Hearing those words like he was right there with me made me tremble and let out a choked sob. I feel tears stinging my eyes and my head starts to ache as I try to hold all these feelings inside. The charade is useless though, and soon I have no choice but to let everything go. I hang my head in my hands and cry. Moving to my bed, I snuggle under the covers and allow myself to collapse under the severe pressure of my own raw emotions.

Waking up the next day feels no different. I haven't magically gotten over Sonny in one night. I haven't fallen under an amnesiac spell which erased all Sonny-memories from my mind. I know that I cried myself to sleep. And I know that when Arianna told me she came in to give me a kiss goodnight, I was surprised because I had absolutely no recollection of it.

"Are you ready Arianna?" I call to her when it's time to leave for school and work.

"Coming, Daddy!" and my beautiful dark haired, blue eyed offspring comes bounding out of her room, her favorite stuffed animal hanging out of the top of her backpack.

"What are you doing with Mama E?" I ask her curiously. "Are you taking her to school for show and tell again?"

She just shakes her head and pulls the purple stuffed elephant out of her bag by its trunk. "No, Daddy. I brought her out for you. I want you to take her to work today." Arianna holds her beloved Mama E ("e" for elephant, appropriately named when she was 3) and then stretches her hands out in offering to me.

"Oh no, Arianna, I couldn't take Mama E with me! She stays here to watch over you."

It seems like such a short time ago that we were reading about animals of the jungle and Arianna got obsessed with elephants. From that moment on for about the next month, Arianna would only allow elephant-related books into her bedtime routine. After getting to the point of knowing the only two elephant books we had almost by heart, I went out and bought everything I could find about them that seemed appropriate for my 3-year old. One day I was explaining how Mama elephants all work together to raise their babies. They are fierce protectors of their young and give everything they can for the good of the herd. That same night while tucking her in, Arianna said good night and whispered into my ear, "you are my elephant, Daddy." Soon after, Mama E was obtained and since then has sat atop the headboard of her bed, always there to watch over and protect her from harm. Apparently, Arianna felt like I could use Mama E's protection today. Kids can be so smart sometimes.

"But Daddy, I want you to. She will protect you from being sad." And so Mama E rode in the front seat of the car with me all day long and even accompanied me into a meeting I was particularly nervous about. Mama E did her job well; the meeting went better than I expected and I was starting to feel a little more confident that the decision I made to stay away from Sonny for a while was the right one. That was until I got home the following day after work.

I walked into the house and found Arianna and Gabi sitting at the kitchen table, obviously waiting for me. "What's going on girls?" I had to ask, wondering if something happened at school or if Gabi had gotten another job already.

"Daddy, where is Sonny?" Leave it to my daughter to get right to the point. "You are very sad without him."

"Pumpkin, I'm not that sad. In fact, I'm starting to feel better already." I attempt to sound convincing.

"No, Will," Gabi chimes in, "you are not. You think you are, but all you've done is hide how you are really feeling. Will, I've never seen you this down before, not even when I first told you I was pregnant."

"Gabi, Arianna - " but they interrupt. "Will, Daddy," they say simultaneously, "you need to call him," my wise-old daughter says.

"Yes, Will, we won't take no for an answer, right Arianna?" Gabi winks at her. "If you don't call him then at least text him or send an email or something. You two belong together." And with that, Gabi gets up from the table, hands me the iPad, grabs Arianna's hand and leads her out of the room.

I'm alone at the table, jacket still on, bag at my feet with Mama E in it, and I know they are right. The last two days of my life have been horrible without Sonny. And that's when it hits me. I go online and start typing up exactly what I want to say to Sonny.

I'm home early today with Arianna after chaperoning a field trip to the arboretum. We're sitting on the floor in the living room playing a game when the doorbell rings.

"Arianna, you stay here. But promise me, no cheating!" I tease her heading for the door.

"I promise Daddy," she responds but her mischevious grin tells me she may not keep that promise.

I open the door. "Are you Will Horton?"

"Yes, I am."

"These are for you," and she hands me a box with a vase nestled in newspaper to hold it steady, a dozen stargazer lillies filling the plastic covering protecting them from the cold.

I don't know what to do at first. Seeing them shocks me and then fills me with an ache so strong I almost lose my balance. Silently, I take the flowers from the delivery driver and set them on the kitchen counter.

"Daddy, those are really pretty flowers," Arianna is right behind me, her curiousity getting the best of her.

"Yes, they are pumpkin," I say dejectedly, staring blankly at her.

"Open them. Who are they from?" her eyes sparkle, and I can tell she thinks they might just be from Sonny.

"They aren't from anyone, sweetie."

She looks puzzled. "How do you know?"

"I know because these are the flowers I ordered online for Sonny last night. They were supposed to be delivered to him at the coffee shop today. He's returned them to me," I can't keep my voice from cracking, "he doesn't want them from me, honey, so he sent the flowers back to me without even opening them."


	14. Chapter 14

"Why, Daddy?" Arianna has a mixture of confusion and sadness etched on her petite 5 year-old features.

"Honey, it's complicated..." I try to dismiss her and her question, but my daughter is way too smart for that. She puts her hands on her hips and juts one out to the side. Giving me a stern stare, she doesn't even have to say anything before I cave. "Okay, okay, Arianna. I wasn't very nice to Sonny a couple of days ago. I was mad at your Mom, but..."

"But you took it out on Sonny?" she finishes my sentence.

"Yes. I took my anger at your Mom out on Sonny. It's already been a couple of days and he hasn't sent me a text since Sunday night. Plus , now I get the flowers I ordered for him returned. I'm getting the feeling that Sonny doesn't want to fix this." I am calm but dejected. Although I'm used to my romantic relationships suddenly taking a nose dive when I introduce my daughter, I had convinced myself that this time would be different. Well, this time certainly is different; the guy's not running from my daughter, he's running from me.

"Call Sonny," is all Arianna says to me. She still has her hands on her hips and looks so terribly adorable and grown-up.

I pick up my phone and scroll right to Sonny on my favorites. There he is, beautiful smile, mussed, thick hair, and the special twinkle in his eyes he only shares with me. Shared. I set the phone down almost as quickly as I picked it up. "I'm not sure, pumpkin. He might not want to talk to me," and I run my fingers through my hair and lean back on the counter, right next to the still unopened bouquet.

I get an idea. It's not a very good one, and quite frankly is a little on the manipulative side, but right now I don't really care. I need to know why he did this and if our relationship is really beyond salvageable. "Arianna, honey, I am going to take a minute and splash some water on my face, okay? Then maybe I'll try to call." I walk down the hallway towards the bathroom, I turn on the water and then quickly sneak back into the hall. I get there just in time.

"Sonny?" my daughter's voice is slightly timid but firm at the same time. I hear a pause and figure it's Sonny responding, thinking it's me calling him. "Yes, Sonny, this is Arianna."

There's more silence, I'm sure Sonny's at least a little worried why my 5 year old is calling him instead of me.

"I'm fine, Sonny. But Daddy isn't." My daughter doesn't mince words...she gets straight to the point. "He's sad because you sent his flowers back."

I'm still eavesdropping and wishing I could be in on both sides of the conversation. "You did, too. The flowers were just delivered. Daddy put them on the counter without even opening them."

I hurry back into the bathroom to turn off the water and make my way to Arianna in the kitchen. I for sure don't want to miss this next part of her conversation with Sonny. Hopefully my sleuth of a daughter will help me figure out why Sonny didn't want my flowers.

"What?" Arianna questions as I return to the kitchen and pretend to look puzzled.

"Who are you talking to, sweetie?" I whisper, but I already know.

"Sonny." she responds to me simply. "Daddy, open up the flowers and read the card." She points to the box on the counter, and I hesitate and remain in my place. "I won't take 'no' for an answer," she says to me, hands still on her hips. Gosh my daughter is intense...and slightly on the bossy side. But this is my own doing; I knew that if I left my phone sit on the table with Sonny's picture pulled up, my daughter would almost certainly call Sonny herself. She much prefers harmony in her life and isn't afraid, even at the tender young age of 5, to try to right things herself. She is such a gift to me.

Because I seem frozen to the spot, Arianna picks up the box unsteadily and the vase is moved from counter to table. I slowly untie the knot at the top of the plastic and spread it down over the bottom of the box. The overwhelming scent of Stargazer Lillies affronts me, and I reach into the middle of the flowers to retrieve the card.

"Will?" is all I can manage.

My daughter doesn't get it. "Daddy?'

"That's what the card says," and I start to get excited. "The card in this bouquet is addressed to Will! WTF!" It's out of my mouth before I even process what I've said. Hopefully Arianna won't ask what that stands for. I take a large step towards Arianna and hold out my hand for the phone. She nods and gives it to me.

"Sonny?" I say softly, wanting so badly just to hear his voice. "You sent me flowers?"

"And you sent me flowers," he replies, and I can hear the small smile in his voice. "Did you read the card, Will?"

"Ummm, no, not yet," and I pull the note from its envelope. "Dear Will, I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I miss you more than you can imagine. Love, Sonny." I read the card aloud.

"Dear Sonny, you have every right to be frustrated. I'm being a stubborn jerk even though I know that you are only trying to protect me. Call or text if you are willing to give me another chance. I miss you like crazy. Love, Will," Sonny finishes reading my card to him and sighs heavily into the phone. "You sent stargazer lillies."

"So did you."

"I thought you returned them to me - rejected my apology gift. When the delivery person brought them into the shop, I thought it was over. I've never felt that heartbroken before, Will."

"I know. The delivery person dropped the flowers off, and I couldn't even speak I was so devastated." My emotions are still pretty raw and my voice cracks reliving that moment when I thought Sonny had refused my flowers. "I'm such an ass..." and I hear my daughter give a little gasp at my use of a 'bad word'. Truthfully, I had kind of forgotten she was still there. "Arianna, honey, why don't you go into your room and play?" My daughter gives me a look that I can only imagine I will be seeing surface again often during her teenage years; it is a cross between contempt, repugnance and resignation.

"Daaa-dddy..." she says very sweetly. This tone, too, I envision hearing again frequently over the years.

"No arguing with me Arianna." I am a sucker for my daughter, but I want now more than anything to just focus on Sonny, to hear the relief in his voice and the anticipation and promises of our reconciliation.

"Fine. Can I at least tell Sonny bye?" she squints her eyes at me and pouts, arms across her chest. It's still not working.

"Yes you can," and I hand the phone to her, assuming Sonny has heard the exchange I've just had with my daughter. Arianna holds the phone to her ear for several seconds, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Sonny?" she's obviously interrupting him. I hear her pause. "Okay. Well, I wanted to tell you good-bye." More silence and she's nodding her head. I hope that's not her answer to a critical question. I still think it's cute everytime she nods or shakes her head believing that somehow the person on the other end can see her response. "Bye!' and the phone is suddenly back in my hand, Arianna's hair flying behind her as she runs to her bedroom.

I put the phone up to my ear. "Hi again honey," I whisper seductively now that little ears are no long present.

"Will?"

"Who do you think this is? Your other boyfriend?" I tease him but secretly make myself nervous for just a second considering the possibility.

"No, he's out of town this week," he quips back at me, knowing that is NOT what I want to hear.

"Sonny..."

"Just kidding, my love." I'm so relieved to hear him call me that. I can't help but allow a giddy grin to take over my face. "But you could have given me a little bit of a warning before putting your 5 year old daughter on the phone."

"I thought you heard us! She said she wanted to tell you good-bye, so I let her."

"Well, I'm afraid she might have heard a few words children her age shouldn't know just yet," Sonny says apologetically.

"Oh God, Sonny. I'm so sorry! What might she have heard?" I am curious for two reasons: I want to know what I might have to deal with should Arianna decide later that she wants an explanation AND I want to hear from my sexy lover, who I have missed terribly over the last few days, the wonderful sweet nothings he intended for me to hear.

"Ummm, well, I think I said something about not being able to wait to caress you and feel your hard body against mine."

"It could have been a lot worse, babe. At least you weren't...uh...too obscene. You didn't address specific hard body parts did you?"

"No! No, Will, nothing like that! Although it's not because I'm not thinking about it..." his voice takes on a husky quality, and I shiver at the thought of skin on skin, hardness to hardness, Sonny's face as I watch him, how it distorts when my touches make him cry out with pleasure.

Swallowing, I manage breathlessly, "yeah, me too. I keep remembering the night...and morning we spent together before our stupid fight."

"Well, keep focusing on that babe. Because the next time I see you, I am going to rip off your clothes and have my way with you."

"Is that so?" I can only whisper and try to catch my breath. I'm there now, in my dreams, knocking on his door, attacking him with passionate kisses as we grab at each other, trying to close his front door and make it to the bedroom without passing out from all of our pent up desire.

"Daddy?" Arianna scares the crap out of me, and I lean in closer to the counter trying to hide my arousal.

"Just a second, Sonny," I pull the phone from my ear and smile at my daughter.

"I have to go potty."

"Well, you know where the bathroom is...go ahead and go. You know I've told you that you don't have to ask or tell me when you have to go. Just...go." Sometimes I find this endearing. Right now, I am feeling embarrassed, like she just busted me reading a dirty magazine.

"Okay, Daddy. Are you still on the phone with Sonny?" She doesn't let me answer. "Why doesn't he just come over?"

"Because, pumpkin, Sonny is at work right now. He can't just leave."

"But he's the boss," she replies stubbornly.

"Arianna Grace!" I interrupt her sternly, "didn't you have to go to the bathroom?" I try to get her back on task.

"Oh yes!" and she's off just as fast as she came.

I pull the phone back to my ear and can only hear the sound of Sonny chuckling openly and heartily. "You know, your daughter is adorable, Will."

"Usually I'd agree...right now, not so much." But I can't help but chuckle at my precocious but still freaking adorable child. "We were just getting to the good stuff," I whine into the phone softly.

"Don't worry. When you come over tonight, we won't be limited to just talking. We can properly make up." I start to breathe a little faster and feel some tingling below my belt.

"I-I'm coming over tonight?"

"I hope so. Can you find someone to watch Arianna? Because I really, really want to see you badly, Will." His voice is raspy and suggestive, and I'm almost hard once again.

"Yes." I say without a moment's hesitation. "Yes, if Gabi's not home then I'm sure my Mom and my sisters would love to have her sleep over."

"Good. I don't want you to have to leave later. I'm planning on wearing you out so much you won't be able to anyway."

"Promise?"

"Promise." There's a peaceful, dreamy silence when we both stop to think about what the night holds for us. "I'm off at 7. You want to meet me at my place at 8?"

"How about 7:30?" I respond boldly. A half hour does make a lot of difference.

"Even better. Okay, Will, I'll see you then."

"Okay. Hey, is there anything I can bring?"

"Just your tight, sexy ass. And maybe some serious stamina."

"Done." I laugh at him, remembering that he is still at work and hoping he's taken this conversation to his office or at least the stock room.

"I love you so much, Will. I can't wait to see you." His words soothe my aching heart like balm on a wound. I hate when we fight and vow to never do it again. It's just too painful to be without Sonny for even one day.

"I love you, too, Sonny. See you at 7:30."

(^(^(^(^)^)^)^)^)

"Are you all packed and ready to go, pumpkin?" I poke my head in the doorway to Arianna's bedroom, watch her grab Mama E and her favorite short-haired Barbie and zip them up into her overnight bag.

"I am Daddy! I am excited to have a sleep over with Grammy Sami and Sydney and Allie and Johnny!" Her blue eyes light up in anticipation. Just then we hear a knock on the door, and we both rush to let my mom in.

"You be good, Arianna!" I pick her up and snuggle her to me, kissing her cheeks and nose and the top of her head.

"I will, Daddy," and she squeezes me back with equal enthusiasm. "Daddy?"

"Yes, dear,"

"I think you are soft. Sonny says you're hard, but I don't think so."

"Well," I stumble just a second and try to recover, "that's because I cuddle with you in a very special way, and I don't cuddle with anyone else like that."

"Oh, okay." She's pacified but my mother is not. She raises her eyebrows at me.

"He means muscular, Mom. You know like 'rock hard abs'?" Her eye roll lets me know that she does't buy it for one second.

"Okay, Will. Sure." She grabs Arianna's bag with one arm and takes Arianna's hand in hers, leading her out to the car. "Come on sweetie. Allie and Sydney and Johnny can't wait to see you!" And with that my daughter practically skips down the sidewalk to the driveway.

"Good bye honey!" I yell at my daughter. "Have fun at your sleepover..." I certainly plan to have a great time at mine.

Mom gets her buckled into her booster seat and turns back once more to wave at me. "Be good Will. Oh, and have fun working out those rock hard abs." My mouth flies open in complete surprise at my mom's audacity. She smiles more to herself, settles into the driver's seat, and navigates her way out of our drive. I give one last wave to Arianna and head back inside to shower and change.

"Oh Mom...I'm not sure about the being good part, but I can guarantee you I will have lots of fun 'working out' with Sonny. In fact, I'm hoping to be a bit sore in the morning..." I mumble to myself as I grab a towel and start the water. "Sore and tired...and satisfied." I step into the shower and start getting ready for my own sleepover.


	15. Chapter 15

**_A/N: Thanks everyone for your patience! Life has been hectic, and I haven't been able to write as much as I'd like. I'm hoping to pick up the pace once again and get writing done soon on other stories, too. As always, thanks for your comments. They mean the world to me!_**

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I look at the clock in the car followed by my watch and then my cell phone: 7:21. I can't help but groan in frustration. Why does it feel like time is standing still? I swear it's been 7:21 for the last 20 minutes. I'm nervous and impatient and so incredibly excited to see Sonny; these past few days without him have felt like months, and I'm craving his closeness. But no matter how anxious I am, I don't want to be too early. I already feel like I pushed a bit when I changed our meeting time from 8 to 7:30. I'm certainly glad I did, though. I can barely stand waiting these next 9 minutes let alone an additional 1/2 hour to see him.

"Screw it!" I finally give up my calm facade and rush up the stairs to his apartment. Just as I'm about to knock, I hear his voice. I stop and listen wanting to hear him more than hear his conversation.

"I do remember, Garrett, trust me." Sonny sounds sweet and gentle, and I can't help but wonder who this Garrett guy is. "And we did have some good times together. But things change."

I'm intrigued by this conversation, so instead of knocking like I should, I stand quietly outside the door to eavesdrop just a little longer. I hear chuckling followed by, "Yeah! I can't believe it, what was I thinking?" and there's a short pause, "like dating someone with a kid!" Sonny says sarcastically and laughs out loud. Hearing that, I can only assume he's talking about me and the realization takes my breath away like a punch in the gut. I'm just someone "with a kid" now. What was Sonny thinking? More importantly, what was I thinking...getting my daughter involved? And now I see that the flowers, the card, the sweet talk on the phone; it was probably just a ploy to get me back into his bed. I am such a fool! Without waiting another moment, I run to the stairs and take them two at a time back down to the parking lot.

I slow up a bit as I near my car and get the keys out. My mind is no longer as fuzzy as it was just a minute ago. "Shit! What in the hell am I doing?" I ask myself aloud, perturbed that I let myself get freaked out so easily. My fingers are gripping the driver's side handle, and I want to open the door. Except that I can't. I don't want to leave. I don't want to be without Sonny again.

After a few minutes of rational thought, I let go and let my hand fall to my side. Somewhere in my brain is secure Will who trusts Sonny without question. That part of my brain reminds me of our earlier misunderstanding with the flowers, how I let my own stupid pride get in the way. That guy, the one who couldn't wait to see Sonny and rushed to his door at 7:21, that guy takes a deep breath and knows what he has to do. That guy, me, who fell head over heels in love with Sonny, is willing to fight for him if that's what it comes down to. I stand up tall, puff my chest out a bit and turn around, walking back in Sonny's direction.

I stand quietly at the door briefly trying to hear if his phone conversation is still going on. There's only silence. Lifting my hand a bit tentatively, I knock several times.

"Will!" the door swings open quickly, and Sonny steps onto the rug outside his door. I'm suddenly very nervous, and I keep my eyes focused on my own shoes, toeing at a frayed corner of his Welcome mat. "You - you look really good. I've missed you so much." And at those words of Sonny's, I have to look up into his face. With startling honesty, Sonny is staring at me, each emotion he's feeling hanging out there in the open for me to see. I take a step closer, as if to enter the apartment, but instead I turn to Sonny, press him firmly up against the door jam and kiss him with all the desire and frustration and anticipation I've been clinging to these last couple of days. I start tenderly, brushing lips softly to his, his cheeks, his jawline and on the underside of his ear where my ministrations elicit a lovely moan from deep in Sonny's throat. I continue down his neck to his collar bone, around to his adam's apple and to the other side. Nearing his other ear, I start nibbling my way up, and I feel Sonny's arms come around me and grab my hips.

"I've missed you, too..." I whisper right against his lips. Another wonderful sound escapes his beautiful, open mouth. Just hearing him sends the most amazingly accurate tingles directly to my groin. I want to press into him, but I hold my body back, exercising restraint I never knew I had. I want him yearning for more, yearning for me...and that feeling is more powerful than my need to feel his hardness on mine through our jeans. I kiss him one more time, intensely, letting my tongue skim his lips lightly before letting go abruptly and walking into his place. He stands there for a moment; I'm pretty sure he's in shock from my surprise attack. I smile to myself knowing that I managed to get Sonny Kiriakis more than a bit flustered.

He recovers fairly quickly and follows me inside, adjusting himself subtly as he walks. "Ummm," he swallows and shakes his head as if to refocus his thoughts. "Did you just get here, Will? Because I swear I thought I heard someone outside my door a little while ago, but when I answered, no one was there. I must have been hearing things!" Sonny laughs as he shuts the door behind him.

"You weren't." I say simply, honestly. Initially I planned on waiting to say something about what I heard, but I can't.

He cocks his head to the side and knits his dark eyebrows together. "What do you mean?"

"I got here a bit early," I stop to smile and look him straight in the eye. "So, ah, who is Garrett?"

Sonny looks puzzled at first and then goes on to explain. "Well," he takes my hand and sits us both on the couch. "Garrett is one of my exes. I haven't heard from him in about a year and then tonight he just contacted me out of the blue."

Trying to control my insecurity and jealousy, I manage, "Should I be worried that he suddenly called you out of the blue?" I'm not sure I really want the answer, but I need to know.

"It's actually quite the story," he pauses to stare at me intensely. I chew on my lip waiting for Sonny to say more. "Will, babe, don't be so rough on those lips, okay? I want them in the best shape possible for tonight." Sonny murmurs softly and winks at me; his words both appease me and turn me on simultaneously. I immediately release my lip and run my tongue over it to make sure no damage has been done. "Will," he says wagging his finger at me, "you know it drives me crazy when you do that, too." I can't help but smile. Yes, Sonny, I think to myself, I do know that it drives you crazy.

"Okay, so we've got time, right?" I ask feeling a bit more confident.

"Yeah, but..."

"But what, Son? Do you not want to talk about it?"

"Actually, I would like to share that conversation with you. But, this is supposed to be "us" time. We haven't even talked about our shit yet and here I am talking about someone else. I'm sorry, babe." Sonny is apologetic and focuses his eyes downward, away from mine.

"We have all night, don't we?" I ask softly, hoping that what I said is true.

"I guess so. I mean I kind of want to get some sleep," he adds teasingly, wiggling eyebrows at me.

"Mmmm, my dear Sonny. Sleep will come. But hopefully not until after we both have several times..." I grin at him and give him my best seductive smile. Whatever I do works. Within seconds, Sonny is on me, my back pushes against the cushions and my hands tangle in his hair. His lips find mine, his hips find mine, and soon his fingers are tiptoeing around the waistband of my jeans. "Oh, God, Sonny...you feel amazing..."

Perhaps me speaking startles him out of his daydream, because he suddenly pulls back, letting me fall all the away against the couch. "Sonny?" I let the question hang out in the air.

"Uh-um, I really want to, Will, I want you bad. But we can't until we talk. I'm not going to let us pretend that nothing happened just so we can have sex." He rubs the back of his neck and meets my eyes hesitantly.

"You think it would be just about sex?" I ask, my voice barely audible. For me, regardless of our misunderstandings and unfinished conversations, I know that I love him far too deeply for it ever to be just sex. It breaks my heart to think that it could be for Sonny.

"Will," he swallows, closing his eyes. "No," he finally answers and opens them back up to meet my steady gaze, "no, it could never be just sex with us. I-I just said it that way to make a point." Bringing a hand up to cup my cheek, he says exactly what I was thinking: "I love you far too much for that."

I let out a sigh of relief, "Good." I kiss his palm and nuzzle my nose against his hand before taking it and holding it between us. "So, let's talk."

"Okay. Back to your original question. Garrett is someone I saw for about a year up until about 10 months ago. He was fun, we always had a good time, but he was far from serious and didn't even want to discuss a long-term relationship with the possibility of marriage and a family. I know that's ultimately what I've always wanted, so I guess I just realized we wanted two different things, and we broke it off quite amicably. The completely ironic part about this story is that on the phone tonight, Garrett told me that he's seeing somebody seriously...a guy who actually has a young son. I was in total shock."

A lightbulb came on above my head, and I realized that is what Sonny was talking about when he said "like dating someone with a kid". He wasn't talking about me and Arianna. He was talking about Garrett. "So, that's part of what I heard you saying to him."

"Yep," he shakes his head as if he still can't believe it. "I told him about the coffee house and school and you...and he asked what I was thinking taking on so much. I said that all of it made me incredibly happy. I could tell that he sounded really happy, too. He even went as far as suggesting we might get together sometime as couples and bring the children along. Sort of like a family double date."

"I think I could do that, Sonny, as long as you assure me that you don't have any lingering feelings for him."

"That would be impossible."

"What do you mean?" I look at him quizzically, waiting for an explanation.

"Because you, Will Horton, have captured my heart and soul so entirely that I couldn't possibly have any room for anyone else. Except for that wonderful daughter of yours. Trust me when I say this to you Will, I love you with every fiber of my being. Whatever I once felt for Garrett has been long gone - way before I met you."

"Okay, Sonny, I believe you. And you know I love you, too, right?" He nods his head at me. "So how did we let ourselves get into such a disastrous fight about my ex-wife the other day?"

"I'm not making excuses, but I will say this to you and maybe it'll help you understand where I'm coming from - the way you protect Arianna, trying to shield her from unnecessary drama, keeping her away from people without sincere intentions - that's how I feel about you. There is something still so innocent and vulnerable about you, Will, that it makes these unbelievably strong instincts come out in me, and I don't want anyone to ever hurt you again. What I saw from Gabi last weekend, Will, it made me just want to wrap my arms around you and Arianna and shelter you from any future hurt and pain. Gabi is going to let you down, Will, I don't think it's a matter of "if" she does, I think it's more like "when" she does. I want you to stand up for yourself, to proclaim that you are the best person for your daughter to be with, and that your ex-wife needs to get her priorities in line before she even considers being an active part of Arianna's life."

"Wow," I am so touched I can barely speak, "it sounds like you've thought quite a bit about this."

"I have, Will. I want to be with you and no one else. So, I promise to try to back off a little when it comes to Gabi. You're a big boy and can handle this on your own."

"That's just it, though, Sonny. I thought I did just want to handle things on my own. And I knew I was being stubborn on the phone the other day. I just was not willing to let myself admit that I didn't have everything under control. Then when you questioned me...I just felt ashamed of myself, that I had let her once again weasel back into our lives. I guess I always justified it by saying that she is the mother of my child and deserves respect."

"But she hasn't earned your respect, Will..."

"I know Sonny. And I know that is what you were trying to explain to me on the phone. I just didn't want to hear it."

He takes my other hand in his and pulls me closer. "You have to believe me, Will, when I say that I am on your side. And I want to be there for you and Arianna for a long time. I love you so much. I was miserable these last few days without you."

"Gosh, me too, Sonny. I've been so cranky and obviously unhappy that even Arianna told me to just "call Sonny". I shake my head and chuckle at the memory.

"Hmmm...so how did you get her to do it?"

"Now wait a minute, I didn't tell her to call you."

"Noooo...but I'm sure you had to have done something to get her to call me and accuse me of sending back your flowers..." Sonny tilts his head to the side and gives me a knowing smile.

"Okay, so I encouraged her a little bit. So what? It turned out alright, didn't it?" I move a little closer to him on the couch and let one of my hands release his so I can caress the soft skin of his wrist and forearm.

"It turned out just fine, Will. She's pretty much impossible to resist."

"Really, and what about her Daddy? How does he rank in the "impossible to resist" area?"

"Mmmm, he is by far the most impossible to resist." Sonny's eyes are dark and hooded and his voice is a little hoarse when he speaks. "In fact, I'm having a very hard time right now...the flush of your cheeks, your lips, wet and inviting, the smell of you, the reminder of my naked body against yours...ah, I don't even know how I'm resisting you right now."

"Then don't," I pant breathlessly, frantically, "I beg you, Sonny, please stop resisting me right now." I know that I sound desperate, but I don't care. He needs to know how much I want him. And it's a lot.

"Okay, Will, yes, I can do that," and I see the same wanton look mirrored in his eyes. He stands, pulling me up with him and immediately throws his arms around me in a firm embrace. "Thank you for talking this through. I know this won't be our last fight, but I hope we can always come back together to talk about it."

"And thank you, too, Sonny. I think we understand each other a lot better now."

"We do," he pauses to look at me with renewed passion. "So what do you say we take this to the bedroom?" Sonny already has my hand in his, and he's pulling me towards the hallway. I simply nod and follow.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Mature audiences only, please. Thank you for your continued support and reviews!**

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Sonny blinks open his eyes and sees me staring at him. "Hi..." he tentatively says, trying to get his bearings. He smiles at me and I can't help but melt.

"And Hi to you, sleepyhead," I smile right back.

"Wait, whattya mean, 'sleepyhead'? I didn't...I couldn't have...I...shit. I did, din't I?" He covers his face with his hands hoping I wouldn't see the embarrassing flush that was rising quickly to his cheeks.

I chuckle and pull his hands away. Kissing him on both cheeks, I roll in to snuggle close as he wraps his arms around me. "You did. But it's okay, you were really tired." I stroke my fingers lightly up his forearm and nuzzle my nose in his warm neck.

"No, it's not okay, babe, I'm so sorry. The last thing I remember is getting into bed with you. We were talking about how your Mom was teasing you about your 'sleepover' with me. Then it's kind of hazy from there," Sonny smiles sheepishly, pulling his eyes once again from mine.

I grab him by the chin and bring his lips to mine, kissing him tenderly and passionately. He may have been able to sleep for the last 2 and a 1/2 hours, but I've been laying here, wide awake, staring at his beautiful olive skin, dark, thick hair and inviting lips. "Mmmmm..." he mumbles against my mouth as I deepen the embrace, "that's really nice."

"Glad you think so." I pause to look him up and down, to see if the rest of his body is responding like mine is to our closeness. He still looks a bit groggy, his hair is mussed even more than usual, he has a wrinkle line on his cheek from his pillow, but for me, this is when Sonny is the most beautiful. He's natural, relaxed...simply and completely sexy. And I can tell from the rise in his boxers that his body is indeed reacting as I'd hoped. "So," I place my lips close to his ear, "would you like me to let you sleep or would you prefer that I keep you...**_up_**." Feeling particularly bold and quite a bit horny, I punctuate my last word by moving my left hand to his abdomen, then directly inside the waistband of his boxers to grab his hardening length.

If Sonny wasn't fully awake before, he certainly is now. He bucks his hips involuntarily and a wonderfully guttural and animalistic growl escapes Sonny's parted lips. "Oh God, Will," he gasps and grips onto my hips crashing them into his with unbridled passion. "You can't believe that I could actually go back to sleep..." he mutters and slips his other hand into the back of my underwear and cups my ass.

I've been trying to be the seductive one, keeping my cool, making him come undone, but when he does that, when his desire is so raw and intense, I lose all control. "I want you so badly, Sonny, right now...please...touch me, love me, fuck me.." I beg and Sonny's eyes pop open wider than I've ever seen before. He's shocked by me, I can tell, but he's also lost in ecstasy, his eyes dark and hooded. With amazing swiftness and agility, he flips me onto my back and my boxers are around my ankles and then on the floor. His follow quickly after, and we are soon grinding against each other, groping chests, nails into shoulders, lips and tongues finding every inch of exposed, feverish skin. Sonny amazes me. That another person can make me feel so perfect, so moved, it is beyond my wildest dreams. I barely realize that I'm talking out loud: "God, Sonny, I love you so much," and I feel the tears stinging my eyes as I try to choke back my emotion.

"Will, my love, my soul mate, don't hold back. Please, let go for me. Let's give ourselves to each other completely." And I am so incredibly happy in that moment, I no longer feel like I need to protect myself, I let every single barrier I've built fall, and I offer everything that I've got to this man that I love. I nod my head and let the tears go. Our lips meet tenderly, and we taste salty and sweet together. The most perfect combination. Like peanut butter and chocolate. But better.

Our hands are on each other hungrily, stroking and pumping into a frenzy of moans and gasps. His "yeses" tangle with my "oh gods" and we ride our wave of rapture until we are both exploding, the warm liquid of our release coating our fingers and bellies. My lips stay on his, and his on mine, and we continue to kiss until we've stopped trembling. Sonny holds me tightly to his chest, like he never wants to let go. My arms steal around his back and pull him just as close. We don't say anything. We don't need to. The moment is perfect just as it is.

After a while I feel Sonny twitch a little and let his body fall to the side of mine. He keeps his leg slung over mine and his arms wrapped around me, and I start to settle into this new position and get comfortable. Pretty soon I feel Sonny poke me gently in the ribs. "Oh sweet William..." he sings my name softly to me, and it's quite possibly the most wonderful song I've ever heard. "My beautiful Will..."

"Yes my dear," I say back to him, my smile as bright and sparkling as his eyes.

"You're not planning on turning in for the night, now are you?" He grabs the towel that he put on his bedside table earlier that night and starts to clean us both. Soon the towel is gone, but his hands are still skimming up and down my arms. He wiggles his eyebrows at me and starts caressing my chest, fingers swirling my nipples, pinching, teasing. Despite how impassioned and profound and draining that orgasm was, I find myself getting aroused again without much effort on Sonny's part. I know that I want to feel him inside of me, consuming me, and I know that he wants to be buried deep, fusing us into one.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Son," I whisper to him and lift a hand to his hair. Brushing the damp strands from his forehead, I meet his gaze and immediately feel the sparks fly. All it takes is a look from this man, and I'm a goner. Slowly this time, without the frenzy but with just as much passion, we make love.

After much exploring, fondling, tasting, Sonny looks at me expectantly to see if I'm ready. Silently, I nod my head, my breathing becomes ragged at just the thought of Sonny touching me so intimately. He pushes my knees up to my chest and his finger finds my hole, the coldness of the lube making me jump. "Will, baby, relax," his soothing voice partnered with the first probe of his finger inside of me makes every limb on my body go limp. I breathe out, opening myself more to him, and he adds another finger to the first. He slides in and out so gently that I'm almost in tears recognizing how careful he's being with me. He pulls two out and gets ready to add a third, and just as he is starting to push into me, I grind down against him, plunging his fingers in deep. My movement is unexpected and hot; I can tell by the way his eyes shut and his mouth drops open that this turns him on. "Will?" his whisper is a question, a desperate longing, and my response, another nod, acknowledges my surrender.

Keeping my knees pulled up, I watch as Sonny unrolls the condom onto himself and smoothes on a generous amount of lube. He lines his cock up with my entrance. My own impatience and mad desire get the best of me, and I once again help move things along. I lift my hips up as he enters me and immediately he is in deep. I cry out, I can't and don't want to hold anything in anymore. "Yes! Yes, Sonny, God you feel so amazing."

He moves languidly, drawing himself out slowly and then thrusting back in with abandon. "Will, you are so tight, you feel incredible." Sonny's breathing gets heavier as he picks up his pace.

"Faster, Sonny, please, deeper. I want you to cum inside of me."

"Oh God, Will, I do too. How are you?" he manages to get out between thrusts, "are you close?"

I've been close since I first arrived here hours ago, but I keep that tidbit to myself. _I don't have to give away absolutely everything, do I?_ "I will be if you help me touch myself." With a strangled groan, Sonny takes my hand in his and brings it to my cock. We are moving together, stroking over taut, smooth skin, and I am overwhelmed with the sensation of him both in me and touching me. "Aaaahhh..." my cries are getting louder, but I don't care. Sonny's are too, and we let our sounds envelop us and fill the room. He shifts just slightly so he's coming in at an angle, and it's like a jolt of electricity coursing through my body from toes to finger tips, to where my hair is now standing on end. Yelling my name one last time, Sonny thrusts and erupts, making sure to maintain his rhythm until he hears my final gasp and feels my release.

We come down from our high slowly, murmuring the other's name, intermingled with "I love yous" and "wows" and tender kisses to swollen lips. Sonny finally collapses onto my chest, and I rub circles onto his sweaty back.

Sonny is the first one to break the silence of our afterglow. "I am so in love with you; you know that don't you Will?"

"Yes, Sonny, and I am in love with you."

"I want this moment to last forever." And we lay like that for a while until our eyes start to close and our breathing gets even.

"Mmmmm..." I can be so profound sometimes. "But I'm tired now, Sonny. You wore me out! Plus, we're a little on the sticky side." I chuckle as he once again grabs for the towel.

"Better?" he asks, "or should we just go take a shower before bed?" Normally this would be an invitation for much more than a shower, but tonight, after what we just shared, this is simply an offer to get clean.

"Sure," I yawn and slide myself out from under him.

"Go ahead," he says, "I'm going to grab fresh towels for us."

I get into the shower and turn the temperature up even hotter. I love how it beats into my skin, soothing sore muscles and washing away all the remnants of our lovemaking. Soon, Sonny is behind me, kissing my shoulder as he wraps arms around me. I start washing his arms first, lifting each one as I go, moving to his chest, his face, his torso, and down his beautiful, hairy, muscular legs. We switch and he does the same for me. Without speaking we turn off the water, step out of the shower and start to towel-dry.

"Sonny," I was hoping the tears would stop after we showered. But I'm too blown away, too dumbfounded to get them to stop. "That was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I love you so much, and I am forever yours." I drop my eyes to the floor, trying not to lose it entirely.

"And I am yours, Will." We walk hand in hand back to the bed, cover the slightly sticky fitted sheet with the flat sheet, and snuggle up under the blanket.

"G'night Sonny," I'm starting to feel sleepy, letting my eyes fall shut.

"Goodnight, Will," he replies as both of us finally give in to the most peaceful, satisfying slumber.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Once again, this chapter contains mature content. Thanks for reading and reviewing...I love hearing from all of you!**

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"Owwww! Dammit!" I hear Sonny from the other room. I'm still in bed enjoying the exhaustion that often follows a night spent making love. Several times. Making love, that is. We alternated between sleeping and loving, and now on this beautiful morning, still tucked in Sonny's bed, I am contentedly and blissfully sore. I look forward to those moments during the day when I'll move or bend and feel the ache that will bring me back to the memory of our night together.

"Shit...owwww! Gosh, it really hurts!" Despite how happy I am snuggled up with Sonny's pillow, he does sound like something's wrong. He isn't one to complain easily, so I better get up and check out the situation. Hopefully he's okay.

"My god! How can this cause so much damn pain?" Sonny is writhing, pacing back and forth in his kitchen with a bloody towel wrapped around his pointer finger. He's moaning in a way that sounds very different from the moans of the past night. He's licking his lips nervously, holding the towel tight and cursing under his breath. I've never seen him like this before.

"Sonny, tell me what happened, okay? I'm here and I can get you to the hospital if you need to go. What did you do? Is it bad?" I'm very worried and my questions sound jumbled.

"I cut myself," he says in a strangled voice.

"Oh Sonny! I'm so sorry! Do you think you need stitches?" I raise my voice and grab onto his shoulder. I'm pretty freaked out right now. Sonny looks like he just might collapse, and I am easily frightened at the sight of blood.

"Nooooooo..." Sonny whines pathetically and rests his head softly on my hand. "I think I just might need to run it under cool water and put a bandage on it." I nod at him anxiously and run to the bathroom for the needed supplies. If he's got a huge gash on his finger, he'll definitely need to go the emergency room. There's no way I'm equipped, physically or mentally, to deal with a deep cut on my own. And from looking at Sonny, whose eyes are still squinted shut in pain, he'd be of no help either.

"Okay, I've got wound cream, some gauze, a bandage and some tape. Let's get this bloody towel off of your finger and get it under some cold water. Hopefully that will stop the bleeding." I swallow deeply and blow out a calming breath. I can do this, I think to myself. I've bandaged scraped knees and bumps on my daughter her entire life. I can handle this. No problem.

I walk to him and set the supplies on the counter. Leading him to the kitchen sink, I try to talk to him in a soothing voice to keep his mind off the pain. It seems to be working. He stands in front of me, gives me a slight smile, and holds his wrapped finger over the sink. Taking one last deep breath, I turn on the cold water and remove the towel from his finger. Without even really looking, I plunge it under the water, hoping to stop the bleeding before I have to doctor it up.

"That's feels good, Will. Thank you." Sonny says looking at me gratefully.

"Of course, baby. I'm here for you, okay?" I am so happy to be taking care of him since he's done so much taking care of me lately.

I pull his finger from the water and bring it toward me. I turn his finger around gently and bring my head down to get a better look. "Ummm, Sonny?"

"Yeah?"

"Where is your cut? Is it me? How come I'm not finding it?" I'm very confused at this point. How could that kind of injury disappear so quickly?

He looks at me impatiently, grabbing his finger away from me and pointing at a place on the front of his finger, by the knuckle. It's a minuscule spot that's barely even red let alone bleeding. "There!" he says frustratingly. "Can't you see it?"

"Are you talking about this little cut right above your knuckle? Is that what all this has been about?" I am incredulous.

"Yes, Will!"

"But Sonny, my dear, this just looks like a little paper cut..." I try to be compassionate but I think I may sound more condescending than anything.

"It is, Will! It's so painful! Don't you know that it's the littlest ones that hurt the most? It stings like crazy every time I try to move it. I don't know how I'm going to be able to work tomorrow." I have to turn my head away and cover my mouth to stifle my laughter. I roll my eyes before looking back at him and I can't help but wonder if he's joking, like he's playing me for some attention. But seeing the sincerity in his eyes, I am startled to find that he's completely serious. He's freaking out, scaring the living daylights out of me, because of the teeniest, tiniest paper cut.

"Son? I'm going to dry it off and put a bandage on it, and then hopefully it will start to feel better, okay?" Realizing that the supplies I grabbed would only be necessary if Sonny had actually really cut himself, I run back to the bathroom for a much smaller band aid.

Finishing my work, I make sure the band aid is on tightly enough to stay but loosely enough for him to still bend his finger. I lift his finger to my lips and lightly kiss his wound. The very wound that I pretty much had to use a magnifying glass to find. But, again, if this soothes him, calms him down, then I'm willing to take care of him, no matter what.

"Do you want to sit down, Sonny?" I lead him to the couch and settle him in gently. He holds his finger up as not to injure it further in the process. I can't help but roll my eyes, but this time, Sonny sees me.

"Will, what's wrong? Did I just see you roll your eyes? Because you don't have to help me if you don't want. I can take care of myself." He's pouting, and it's completely adorable.

"I want to help you, c'mon! I just had something in my eye. I'm here and bandaged your finger, didn't I?" I counter, once again suppressing a smile. He's on the end of the couch with his hand propped up on a pillow, in his boxers, a red tank and his hair is going in all directions. He is breathtakingly beautiful to me and so damn sexy. Even if he is being the biggest baby in the world.

"How about you sit here and rest, and I'll make us some breakfast? How does that sound?"

"Great, Will, I'd like that. It's actually what I was trying to do before the pancake box ripped into my finger," he says bitterly.

"Okay then. I'll take over for you, and I'll be especially careful of that box. Sounds dangerous." I'm sarcastic.

"Yeah, it might not look it, but it is." He's dead serious.

Twenty minutes later I've fed the both of us pancakes and sausage (I couldn't have him feed himself and risk further injury) and am cleaning up the kitchen when I spot the towel that Sonny used on his finger. Did that little paper cut really bleed so much that it saturated the towel? I pick it up and a mild, sweet smell fills my nostrils. "Hmmmm..." I say aloud and bring the towel closer to my nose. Taking in a big whiff, I start to chuckle. It's not blood; it's ketchup. My chuckle soon turns into a full-on belly laugh, complete with gasping breaths and tears streaming down my face.

"What's so funny out there?" Sonny asks from his spot on the couch.

I wipe my eyes and try to compose myself. Walking into the living room, I hold the so-called "bloody" towel in front of him. "This isn't blood." It's not a question.

"No, it's not. What made you think that?"

"Um, let's see, the blood-curdling screams I heard from you, or seeing you writhe in pain with the towel wrapped around your finger, or you telling me over and over how much it hurts...THAT gave me the impression that you were seriously hurt and bleeding! And now I see that it's just ketchup. How did you manage to cover the whole towel? Did you spill the entire bottle on it?" I'm perturbed and annoyed. I really thought he was hurt. I was seriously concerned and thought I might have to rush him to the hospital. And now I see that his wound is actually a barely-existent paper cut and the bloody towel is really just covered in ketchup.

I watch Sonny's face as he looks at his hand sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Will. It just hurt so much. I guess I probably did overreact a little."

"A little?" I raise my voice and respond cynically. I see right away that I've hurt his feelings. I can't help but feel badly when I see his face fall and he shifts his gaze from mine.

"I said I was sorry." His apology is barely a whisper.

I throw the towel on the table and sit down next to him. "I know, Son," I quickly try to mend the situation. "I'm sorry, too. I was really scared that you were seriously hurt and that I'd have to rush you to the hospital. I just can't imagine what I'd do if anything happened to you." It is the truth. I think that's what scared me the most about this whole cut-misunderstanding. What if one of us really does get hurt? And we have to spend time apart? I don't think I can live without him.

"I know, Will. I think I might die without you." He looks at me so lovingly that I can't not kiss him. Moving slowly as to not disturb the propped finger, I lean in and brush my lips against his. The kiss quickly gets more intense and soon my hands are in his hair and his are around my back. We let the tips of our tongues meet just briefly, caressing and tempting, before we explore deeper. I push him back a little farther on the couch cushion and Sonny lets out a soft moan. Now this one has the familiar sound of his moans from last night. The heart-wrenching, paper cut moans? Those seem to be long gone.

He grips me tighter, bringing me closer in and I swing my leg up over so I'm straddling him. I hear another groan and it's followed by a very firm declaration: "God, Will, I want you so badly...now."

I can only nod and try to catch my breath. Lifting myself from him, I get up from the couch and reach to help him up. "Ouch!" Sonny yells, and I realize that I've accidentally grabbed onto his injured hand.

"Oh, my baby, I'm so sorry..." I apologize profusely, raising his finger to my lips once more for a healing kiss. I softly touch my lips to the outside of his bandaged digit and start to kiss up and down. My lips slowly move to the next finger, followed by the next, and into his palm. As I get farther away from his sore finger, I start to suck and nibble on the soft, sensitive skin of the inner side of his hand. Hearing his sharp intake of breath, I let myself smile a little and ask, "Better sweetheart?"

"Very. Better. Yes," he stammers. He's staring at me while I continue to shower his hand with undivided attention. My lips move up to his forearm to the tender skin inside his elbow. Sonny lets out a spontaneous cry, heavy with desire, and it is so erotic and wanton that the intensity even surprises him.

"Can we move this to the bedroom?" I try one more time, grabbing his good hand. He simply nods, not taking his eyes from mine. We walk together, hand in hand, and slowly, deliberately undress each other until we're both naked.

"God, Will, no matter how many times I see you, you always take my breath away. You are so beautiful."

I am so moved, I can only reach out and pull him to me, showing rather than speaking my gratitude. We kiss passionately, and I make my way to his ear, whispering sweet , sensual words and continuing to his neck and collarbone. I brush my lips on his chest and follow each kiss and nibble with a soft caress. My hands follow every move I make, and they are ready once I've made it down past his waist and hips. I wrap fingers around his cock and his knees start to buckle. Walking carefully backwards, I get him to the bed and help him lay back and scoot to the top without having to use his wounded hand. I climb on top of him and soon every inch of our skin is pressed against each other's. We both whimper at the feel of our warm, slick bodies together.

Without waiting a moment longer, I move down to Sonny's navel and quickly dart my tongue in and out. "Will!" he gasps. I know he's very ready. I continue my journey and soon my mouth is hovering above his erection. I breathe on him, causing him to shiver, and I brush my lips against the head, licking the rim. "Oh, Will...that feels so good. I love your lips!"

I take that as validation of my plan and quickly take him wholly into my mouth. Sonny gasps violently, being caught completely off guard. I let him out halfway and continue to move my tongue against his smooth, taut skin. His sounds are coming more often and he's starting to thrust forward. I grab his hips and let him hit the back of my throat. I am experienced enough at this point that I don't have the slightest gag reflex anymore. His cries are getting deeper, more desperate, and I know Sonny is close. Releasing him from my mouth, I take him quickly into my hand and pump rapidly. I move up to look at him and we keep our eyes open as we kiss. I watch his face contort as he gets closer and closer, and I am so enthralled, I cannot look away. Kissing him harder this time, I let my eyes fall shut as I feel him moan into my mouth and release into my hand. I stroke him through his orgasm and kiss his lips, his cheeks, and his forehead as he convulses with pleasure.

Finally he stills and lets himself fall back against the mattress with a contented sigh. Grabbing the towel from the bedside table, I clean my hand and him before cuddling up close.

"So," I rest my hand against his chest, "do you feel better now?"

"God, yes, Will. How can you even ask that? You are amazing. That was just...amazing." He smiles as he fails to come up with another word to describe my recent performance.

"Okay, thank you, but I mean, does your finger feel better?" I hold up his bandaged hand in front of us.

"Hmmm...remind me. What did I do to my finger again? I've forgotten."

I giggle and raise my eyes to his, checking to see if he's teasing me. He looks at me sincerely, and I can't believe that he actually doesn't remember. "Um, nothing really. It's just a little paper cut."

He looks at his finger once more before tearing the band aid from it. "Sonny, what are you doing?" I can't believe the man who was screaming in pain a few hours ago is removing the bandage I so carefully crafted for his injury. He tosses it to the floor and unceremoniously flips me onto my back, quickly devouring the exposed skin of my neck.

"It's my turn to make you feel good, my love. Is that not okay?" He looks at me with a playful glimmer in his deep brown eyes.

"N-no-no, it's not that." I pause and return his gaze. "I'm just worried about your finger that's all. I want to make sure it's okay."

"Oh, I see," he says softly as he brushes that very finger against my lips, runs it gently along my neck, to my chest and then pops it in his mouth briefly before resuming his journey down my belly to the leaky tip of my unbelievably hard length. I am breathless watching him and feeling him as he finishes his exploration. I'm panting with anticipation.

As he moves his finger one last time to find my hole, I can't stop myself from crying out desperately. He continues to circle and prepare. "Thank you for taking such good care of my finger, babe," he says to me, his voice laced with desire. "And just as you took care of my finger," he enticingly penetrates me, sending a shock of infinite pleasure throughout my entire body, "I'm going to help my finger take care of you."

And he does.


	18. Chapter 18

As it turns out, Sonny's injury was far worse than we had imagined. Well, after a tremendous amount of friction, along with two other fingers, indulging me in intense pleasure resulting in multiple (okay, maybe two) orgasms, my poor Sonny's knuckle was almost rubbed raw. Apparently repeated action like that irritated it more and was only made worse when he helped my hand through his own orgasm. Salty substances tend to make open wounds sting. And that it did.

This time when I go to the bathroom for supplies, I am far from panicked and instead wear a huge grin on my face. _Wow, was that fucking amazing,_ I think to myself. _How can sex be this good all of the time? How can I keep falling deeper and deeper in love with this man when I already thought I was way past my limit? But how could I not?_ Seeing him laying on the bed, a wide grin spread across his face, too, anxiously waiting for me to nurse his red and swollen finger, I can't imagine ever loving anyone else.

Sonny wears his bandage like a badge of honor. He proudly waves it in the air, holds it out for me kiss regularly and doesn't shy away from using it to get out of cleaning up from last night and this morning. I am happy to oblige in his little rescue fantasy, because truth be told, that very finger did some exceptionally high quality work. Pampering him through the resulting pain, well, it is the least I could do.

"You doing okay babe?" I ask him as I fluff the pillow behind his head. I lean in for a kiss and it is wonderfully sweet and tender. He then raises his finger to me, asking for some TLC with his adorable doe eyes. I place a soft kiss on the bandage and decide to play along. "You know, I really am sorry your finger got worse."

"I'm not, and you shouldn't be either. My choice was to say screw the injury and, well, screw you instead!" he finishes gleefully, cracking himself up. All I can do is roll my eyes and shake my head. "Plus," he adds, "I have nine other fingers that are very capable of doing the same kind of work." He raises his eyebrows at me and I quickly glance at his hands. His pinkies are a little short, so I'm skeptical, but his thumbs, now the thought of them intrigue me. Sonny sees my face change and a blush flood to my cheeks. "I've only just started trying things with you, my love," Sonny whispers and brings me back in for another more intense kiss.

"Okay!" I swallow nervously and excitedly at the same time. "But for now, your place is a mess, and I owe you a clean apartment before I have to go home."

"Fine. Thank you, Will." He lets me go and I resume my tidying of the kitchen and bedroom. Normally I'm not crazy about cleaning, but for some reason, doing it at Sonny's place feels entirely different. It's making me happy, knowing that we together made these messes that I'm cleaning up. Seeing Sonny resting contentedly on the couch watching basketball, I feel the need to keep working on the rest of his place. I move to the bathroom, putting towels in the laundry basket and then pick up a bottle of lube that had fallen to the floor. Grabbing it I see Sonny's abandoned band-aid and can't help but giggle as I toss it into the garbage can. All because of a little paper cut and the care with which I used to bandage his wound. Hmmm...maybe we should try playing doctor sometime. I think next time though, I'd have to do a much more thorough exam.

"Will?" Sonny calls to me from the living room.

"Yes, dear," I walk to the couch and run my fingers lightly through his hair.

"I miss you. Come sit with me, please?"

"Sure," I set down my dusting cloth, wash my hands in the kitchen sink and snuggle in next to him. "Anything for you my valiant prince." I know it's cheesy, but it fits the moment. I have to admit the whole paper-cut situation is pretty damn funny and terribly corny. But I don't care.

"Anything?" Sonny implores quietly, looking deeply into my eyes.

"Yes," I respond breathlessly. When he looks at me like that I have trouble forming words and managing other rather vital bodily functions. "I think that I _would_ do anything for you, Sonny. I could never give up my daughter, but I would do anything else."

"Will, you know I would never, ever dream of asking you to do that, right?" he asks me sincerely, sitting up and putting his unbandaged hand on my arm.

"I know, Sonny. I just thought I needed to clarify what I said..." he is happy with my reassurance and relaxes back into the couch.

"I love Arianna. I never thought I would - or could - love a child like that so quickly. It might have something to do with how totally in love with her Daddy I am, but let me tell you, I crumble into a gooey, helpless, lovesick mess when I'm around you two...I'm so completely smitten." He smiles at me, and I put my arm around his neck and cuddle into his shoulder. And all of a sudden, like I've been struck by random lightening, I realize that I want life with this man and my daughter, to be just like this, all the time.

"Sonny, move in with me. Move in with us." I've said the words before even thinking them through, before even exploring how that might work with my ex-wife still living with me and all.

"Will..." Sonny looks at me apologetically, and I stop him before he can say 'no'. Putting my fingers on his lips, I stare into his eyes.

"Just humor me and say you'll think about it?"

Sonny takes my hand and kisses the back first followed by my palm. That simple sweet gesture makes me tingle all over. And I can just picture us living as a family, lounging on our couch, watching basketball, while Arianna sits at her easel, painting a picture that we'll later post proudly on the refrigerator door.

"Okay my sweet Will, I will think about it," he gives in to me a little too easily. I escape back to my daydream imagining Sonny and I in the backyard cooking on the grill, roasting marshmallows over a fire, huddling closely under a blanket trying to keep warm as we teach Arianna the constellations. For the first time in my entire life, I feel like this is actually possible. And I finally understand why people (mostly my girl friends) get so excited about getting married and having a family and buying a home. It's the ultimate dream come true, to be able to share a life and a home with the people you love most in the world. Arianna and Sonny are those people to me. They are who I want to build a life and a home with. They are my perfect family.

Tugging lightly on his hair, I start to run my fingers over the top of his ear, and he puts a gentle finger underneath my chin so we're looking directly into each other's eyes. "You do know that I can't though, Will. I can't move in with you now...it's not the right time."

"Well, when IS the right time? Isn't it when we are in love and happy and starting to plan a life together? Shouldn't it be when I can't bear to think of spending even one hour, one day away from you, the man I love? Why isn't now the right time, Sonny?" I know the answer to my questions, and I know that he is absolutely making the decision that's best for all of us. I just can't stop my heart from breaking a little at the thought of me going back to my house while Sonny stays here at his.

Sonny smiles, brushes my flushed cheek and stares at me, adoration and love written all over his face. "For some couples, Will, yes, this would be the perfect time to move in together. But we aren't one of those couples, babe. We have two other people to consider in all of this, and we cannot - I won't let us - rush anything. I am here for the long haul honey, so you better get used to me. I'm not going anywhere. And we will know when the time is right for us. It'll be after Gabi moves out, you have adjusted to life as a full-time Dad and I am more secure with my business. Just give it time."

"What if I don't wanna?" I pout and cross my arms in front of my chest. Sonny chuckles at my childishness and places a very tender kiss on my puckered lips. He doesn't stop there. He meets my eyes and I notice a familiar twinkle in his as he softly runs his tongue over my upper lip, paying special attention to the corners. "Mmmmmm..." I can't help but moan at the amazing sensation and soon my arms are unfolded and my fingers are working on the buttons of his shirt.

"I think you're adorable and sexy when you pout, William Horton," he says against my parted lips.

"Hmmm...I think you're adorable and sexy all the time Jackson Kiriakis," I retort, nipping at his roaming tongue.

He pulls away and gives me the evil eye. "That's totally not fair, because I think you are adorable and sexy all of the time, too."

"Now how am I supposed to believe you when it seems like you are only saying it because I did first?" I wink at him and nuzzle one of his favorite spots on his neck, right below his ear and jawline.

"God, Will, you drive me crazy!" he is exasperated and flustered trying to wiggle out from under my grasp. But I have the upper hand, with his injured finger and all, he really only has one good arm. And that gives me the perfect advantage I need to lay back on the couch, taking him with me. He falls forward, and I tug his hips closer to mine, wanting to feel the state of our mutual arousal.

"Clearly, crazy seems to turn you on..." and I enticingly lift my hips just enough to brush my growing bulge up against his.

"Shit!" is all he can muster and soon his lips are smashed against mine, greedy and wanting. I surrender completely, giving him full access to lips, tongue, ears, neck, shoulders, nipples...until my pocket starts vibrating loudly. We both want badly to ignore it. But we both know that I can't. He reluctantly pulls away from me, panting, and helps me into a sitting position so I can grab my phone.

"It's a text from Gabi," I explain as I skim its contents. "Yippee!" I suddenly shout, scaring Sonny half to death.

"Jeez, Will! Shit. I didn't expect that kind of reaction to one of Gabi's messages...unless..." he lets his sentence trail off, his eyes asking what his words couldn't.

"Yep. Gabi's found a job!" I wrap my arms around him and place a hard, loud kiss on his open mouth. "She starts already tomorrow. So, soon she'll be getting a paycheck, and then soon she'll have saved enough money for a deposit and will find her own place and move out! I can't believe it Son! Maybe that moving in together thing won't take quite as long as I thought!" I can't contain my excitement.

"Yes, Will, that's fantastic! Things are starting to fall into place...just like I said they would. In our own time, this will all happen for us. And it will be absolutely perfect. I promise."

"Good, I'm holding you to that."

"So, how should we celebrate this exciting news?" and Sonny starts to press me back into the cushions of the couch.

"Ohhh, I can't," I whine, "my Mom also sent me a text, and she's going to be at the house in an hour to drop off Arianna. So, I need to get going."

"I guess we did know that this perfect day together would eventually come to an end." He stops me from interjecting with a stern look, "and before you say it, I know that days like this wouldn't have to end if we were living together. But you and I both know that now is not the time. And you and I both know that we **will** know when it is the right time. Don't worry, soon we'll be together, one little happy Horton Kiriakis household!"

"I really like the sound of that. Can we put that on the mailbox?" We both laugh giddily. "Because you know what comes next then my dear boyfriend...marriage. Then more babies. And maybe even a dog." I look at him very intently.

His mouth is open in shock, and I can see the panic in his eyes, so I can't go on with the charade for long. "I'm just kidding, Sonny!" I nudge him with my shoulder as he snaps out of his stupor. "You did totally fall for it, though! Ha! Gotcha!"

Sonny chuckles with me for only a moment before he takes my hand and looks at me with such a serious expression that I immediately stop laughing. "Will, we can joke about it now, but I want to make one thing clear," he waits for me to nod so he can continue. "I plan on moving in with you and Arianna, and I plan on asking you to marry me one day and I even plan on bringing at least one more child and a pet into our family. I know what I want Will, and it's you and Arianna in my life forever."

There's nothing I can say. I am too flabbergasted and astounded to hear that my perfect little daydream is what he wants for his life, too. He wants me and Arianna. And I want him with us.

We hold onto each other even longer when I'm ready to leave. "Thank you," I whisper into Sonny's ear.

"For what?" he whispers back into mine.

"For everything...for the most amazing night and morning of my life, for being so wonderful and kind, for being so generous and caring and accepting, for loving me and Arianna despite my complicated life...for being the man of my dreams." I finish breathlessly hoping I haven't said too much.

"Wow. I hope I can live up to that," he says a bit sheepishly.

"You already have." I frame his face with my hands and kiss him one final time before heading out. We kiss passionately, eagerly, conjuring feelings that remind me of being wrapped in his arms as we make love. I feel safe and adored.

"I love you so much, Will." Sonny says to me once we break apart.

"I love you, too, Sonny." I say back. "Now, rest that finger, I'm hoping for it's fast recovery so maybe we can have a repeat performance sometime soon..."

"You got it," and he smiles and kisses me chastely. "Bye, Will..."

I head down the hall and turn back one last time to wave at him. He's still standing outside his door, watching me leave. I blow him a kiss as I turn the corner and walk down the stairs to my car. Just as I'm about to open the driver's side door, my phone rings. It's Sonny.

"Hi there," I greet him with a giddy smile.

"Hi you. I missed you already and needed to hear your voice."

"That's one of the most romantic things anyone has ever said to me." I am genuinely touched.

"Well, it's true," and then there's a moment of silence. "A dog, hah?"

"Or a cat...at least they poop on their own." I giggle as I say it.

"Will?"

"Yes babe?"

"Maybe we could start with a fish?"

"Maybe, Sonny. I'll call you later, okay? I love you."

"I love you, too, Will." I hang up the phone, get into my car and head home.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Once again, thanks to winstons1984 for a wonderful chapter depicting Sonny's POV after their last night together. There will be even more to come soon readers! Thanks for your patience and reviews!**

* * *

I am leaning outside the door of my apartment watching Will as he walks away from me down the hall. I feel a stretch on my heart as he leaves. It is as if he is literally taking a piece of my heart with him and it will be in his possession until we are together again. I wonder if he feels the same way, and just as that thought reaches my mind, he turns back to face me and waves. My heart jumps when his eyes connect with mine and he shares a sweet smile. Then he does the most adorable thing and my knees nearly buckle. Fortunately, I am leaning against the door frame so my lover doesn't see me collapse, as he blows me a kiss and then quickly turns the corner and I can hear his feet descending the stairs. The stretch on my heart gets even stronger once he is out of sight and it's painful, much worse than the cut on my finger. Somehow my subconscious knows the one way to ease the ache is also the cause. Instinctively, I take my phone out of my pocket and hit Will's name in my recent calls. As I hear the phone ring in my ear, the tightness in my heart loosens, and when Will answers, "Hi there," the ache is entirely replaced with warmth.

"Hi you. I missed you already and needed to hear your voice." I say into the phone hoping that I don't sound as vulnerable as I feel.

"That's one of the most romantic things anyone has ever said to me," Will replies in a voice like a lullaby soothing me.

"Well, it's true," and with that simple honest confession, my head is flooded with images of our now shared dream. A family. A marriage. A home. A brother or sister for Arianna. A dog. . . and then the image turns into words, "A dog, hah?"

"Or a cat...at least they poop on their own." Will answers with a disarming giggle that buoys me. His practicality reminds me of the time a pet takes, time away from . . . other activities.

"Will?"

"Yes babe?"

"Maybe we could start with a fish?" I suggest innocently.

"Maybe, Sonny. I'll call you later, okay? I love you."

"I love you, too, Will." As I hear him hang up my heart feels a pinch, but the call was enough for now, but not for long. I will definitely need him to call me later.

As the reality of his absence settles, I go back to the couch and indulge in a daydream, where all the good sense I professed earlier is now out the window. I imagine myself packing several bags and a few boxes, loading up the car and landing on Will's doorstep tonight, greeting him with 'Surprise, I changed my mind.' In my daydream, the look on his face is priceless and the ache I felt in my heart earlier has completely vanished.

I pass the rest of the day volleying between the fantasy of just going for it regardless of the complications and actually starting to think through realistic next steps. I realize that it may not be tonight, but it really doesn't have to be that far off. Three critical milestones have already taken place. One: We love each other. Two: Will actually asked me. Three: Gabi found a new job.

Actually, when Gabi moves out, Will may need some help with Arianna at home. We might be able to arrange our work schedules so that I can help care for her while Will's at work. Oh, wait a minute, that might not be the best plan. I envision Will and I seeing each other for maybe 10 minutes at a time while one gets home from work and the other heads to work. While it would solve a lot of child care issues, it would also defeat the purpose of us living together to have more time for each other and Arianna. Well, details can be worked out later. I just know that I would still be able to help him, and that is what's most important.

I have no idea how much time I have lost laying on the couch thinking through the numerous possibilities. I am jolted from my reverie by my phone vibrating and the immediate conclusion that it could be Will. It is! I open the new text.

_Will: hey sexy, hows the finger?_

_Sonny: improving, rest is helping, it will be ready when you're ready_

I laugh at my subtle flirtation which surely should have brought on a blush. The pause in his reply confirms my suspicion.

_Sonny: where are you?_

_Will: at home with ari and gabi_

_Will: gabi is really excited about this job, it pays better than her last so things should move quickly_

_Sonny: that is great_

_Sonny: am i really the man of your dreams_

_Will: you are_

_Sonny: well then, do you think you could find somewhere private for a minute, texting is fun, but I want to hear your voice_

_Will: sure, give me 5 minutes_

_Sonny: k, call me when ready_

I wait impatiently lying on the couch and staring at my phone willing it to ring. Finally, it does and I answer immediately.

"Hello, my love," I whisper and then have a moment of panic when I realize I didn't bother to look at the name. I look. It's Will. _Whew!_

"Hi, babe. I miss you. That was the best almost 24 hours of my entire life." Will is speaking in a low gravelly voice, and my eyes close involuntarily as I picture him. I wonder if he's still wearing what he had on when he left my place. Has he showered or is there the lingering scent of _us _on him still?

"Me too, love. When, can I see you again?"

"I can stop by the coffee house after work tomorrow, but I will have to come home at night as it will be Gabi's second day on the job. I want to be sure things go well for her." I understand and I hope things go well for Gabi too. Despite my misgivings, I do truly want her to be a successful and independent woman with a promising future.

"OK, thank you for the first aid earlier. I am doing physical therapy exercises so that it will be ready to get back in the game," I chuckle and continue. "How are you feeling? Not too tired I hope." I realize that now I am just prolonging the time I can hear his voice before I am home alone again.

"No, I feel great. Honestly, being with you like that is invigorating. When I stop by tomorrow, let's figure out when can block at least 16 hours of alone time, OK, babe?" The longing I hear in his voice matches my own.

"Sixteen, hah? That sounds very specific," I tease him.

"Yeah, well, if I get to your place around 7 am, then we'd have the day into the evening together, I could leave around 11 pm so I'm home when Arianna wakes up in the morning." He's got it all planned out.

"Wow...definitely we can make that happen. Let's plan it soon, okay, because I can't stop thinking about our time together. I have memorized every curve of your body and can't wait to touch you again." I say a little breathlessly conjuring up the most wonderful vision of Will in my arms, in my bed.

"I know, me too honey." Will whispers in reply, and I hear him adjust slightly in his seat.

"Will?"

"Yes, Sonny?"

"I have been thinking about what you asked. Maybe we can talk about it more. You know, plan for it in the hopefully near future?" After finishing this question, I hold my breath. What if Will was just caught up in the moment and the reality of his homelife has set in? His response is slow, too slow.

"I'm sorry about that Sonny. I shouldn't have pressured you like that. We can see how things go." It's not quite the eagar response I was hoping for, but at least he left the door open for more discussion. "I will see you tomorrow and we can talk about those new fingers, ahh, techniques you promised to try." Will deftly shifts the subject back.

"Hmmm that sounds nice. I love you, Will. So much. Please don't ever doubt that for even a minute. You mean everything to me. You and Arianna. Now get lots of sleep, OK, love?"

"OK, you too Sonny. I love you."

* * *

It's busy at the coffee house, but only a few more hours and I will be done. Will should be arriving in about an hour. I work quickly wrapping up as much as possible before he arrives. Just as I am finishing up, the door opens and I look up just like I have every time in the past hour to see if it is Will. It's not Will, but it is someone I know.

"Garrett, it's nice to see you," I say as I wave him over to the counter.

"Hi, Sonny! Wow, this place is really great. The decor is so comfortable, but also unique." Garrett replies sincerely.

"So, would you like some coffee?"

"Sure, Sonny. A skim latte would be great," he said settling on a stool in front of the counter.

"Coming right up," I reply getting his order.

"So, Sonny. Tell me all about Will and his daughter."

"No small talk, hah? You want to get to the heavy stuff right away, I see! Well, Will is just perfect. He is probably the most generous and forgiving person I have ever met. He is funny with this adorable shyness, but beneath all of that he is strong. Oh, and I should mention that he is literally drop-dead gorgeous. And Arianna, his daughter, is just as adorable and smart, maybe too smart. So tell me about Michael and his son."

"They sound great, Sonny. I am truly so happy for you. Michael is very handsome and so responsible, intelligent and grounded. He gives me a foundation I never knew that I needed so desperately. His son, Josh, is very different than him. We have a lot in common actually. He is so full of energy and he is such a character. He makes everyone laugh." Garrett sports a huge smile.

"I'm so glad you are happy, Garrett, you deserve it."

"You, too, Sonny. So, things with Will are serious?" Garrett asks.

"Yes, they are. Actually, he asked me to move in with him and Arianna, but it isn't the right time yet." I answer thinking again about all the possibilities and complications.

"Maybe you should just say, 'yes,' Sonny. If he is everything you describe, why isn't it the right time?"

"Well remember how I said he was generous and forgiving?" I hesitate. Was it a betrayal to share this information?

"Yes."

"Well, his ex-wife lost her job and so Will agreed to let her stay with him for a month or two. I am far from crazy about the idea with the way she takes advantage of him and disappoints their daughter, but Will somehow manages to see past that. He just sees the need that he can fill. I adore him for it, but if I move in now it would definitely be one person too many." I state this fact wishing fiercely that it wasn't a fact.

"Well, Sonny. He sounds great and that sounds temporary, so I would say be patient and maybe start planning for the future. Having a plan might give him a reason to question more the next time she needs him." Garrett says surprising me with his new-found maturity.

"Thank you, Garrett. That is sound advice. So how about you and Michael. Serious?" I ask.

"Yes, as a matter-of-fact. We are engaged." he said flashing the ring on his finger.

"Congratulations!" I say coming around the counter to give him a hug. Just then the door opens again. I look up and this time it is Will.

I jump out of the hug, even though I know I have no reason to feel guilty. There is nothing but friendship left between us and I have even told Will everything about Garrett. Still I know Will could react, he doesn't even know this is Garrett. Of course, jumping away like that only serves to make me look guiltier than before. I rush past Garrett, he'll understand, and stride swiftly up to Will.

"Will, honey, you made it early! I am so glad to see you," I pull him into a tight hug and kiss him on the cheek. He is stiff as a board, but I want him to see my very public display of my complete devotion to him. Keeping an arm around his waist, I turn back so Will and I are both facing Garrett who is watching us with laser like attention. Will still hasn't said a word and he still feels like a surf board wrapped in my arm.

"Garrett! Come meet Will! Will, you remember my telling you about Garrett the other day, right? Well, he stopped by to see the coffee house." I finish my damage control hoping it is enough.

Fortunately, Garrett picks up on this and helps, "Will! I am so glad to meet you," he says reaching out to shake Will's hand. "Sonny has told me so many great things about you. You certainly have captured his heart." That last line is a bit over the top, but I appreciate it and gave Garrett a microscopic nod as I feel Will finally starting to relax some of his beautiful muscles.

He meets Garrett's outstretched hand and manages a reply. "It's nice to meet you too, Garrett. Sonny told me you two recently reconnected." Will leans into my body when he releases Garrett's hand and I am so relieved. Crisis averted. I definitely had not regained enough strength for another fight with him and even worse, another separation from my sweet Will.

"Yes, we did and I am so happy for you and Sonny." Garrett replies amiably.

"So, Will. Garrett was just sharing with me that he and Michael are now engaged. Isn't that good news?" I say squeezing his waist a bit.

"Oh, really, well congratulations!" Will says genuinely.

"Thank you!" Garrett glances one more time at his engagement ring and smiles. "I had an idea you two. Arianna is 5, yes? Well Michael's son Josh is 6. I thought it might be fun if we all met for a picnic at the park one day. What do you think Will?" Garrett says smartly asking Will rather than me. I wait on baited breath for Will's reply.

He pauses, but only for a second before he looks at me pensively and then directly at Garrett.

"Sure, that sounds fun. Arianna loves to meet new friends. Maybe this weekend?" My heart leaps. My wonderful Will is so open-hearted. No wonder I am helpless to resist him.

"OK, it's a date then. Saturday? Maybe 10am?"

"Sure," Will says turning his beautiful blue eyes onto me. "Is that OK with you, Sonny?"

Will's gaze is so intense that I can't possibly focus on anything or anyone else. I must have been staring a while because all of a sudden, Garrett not-so-subtly clears his throat.

"Yes Will, I would love that." I've snapped out of my reverie but still can't take my eyes off of him. Forcing myself to do so, I look between Garrett and Will, who are grinning at me widely. "So, Saturday at 10? A family double date at the park sounds perfect." And the three of us move ahead with our plans.


	20. Chapter 20

What I don't understand exactly is how I ended up at the picnic table, alone, with Garrett. What I also don't understand, but know I had to see for myself, is why I was ever threatened by Sonny & Garrett's past relationship. It is so apparent that Garrett is completely and totally in love with Michael and his son Josh. He is smitten; he follows them everywhere with his eyes, not in a scary, controlling way but in an adoring, can't-believe-how-lucky-I-am sort of way. It's how I feel about Sonny, and I know that I must look at him the same way, too. It's a combination of pride and fear, love and shock...earth-shattering feelings I've never had intermingled with this innate doubt that things might just be too good to be true.

The relationship I should have been concerned about was the one between Josh and my lovely, blue-eyed, black-haired, highly opinionated 5 year old daughter. Not worried in the way you might think, though. No, they don't appear to like each other one bit. Quite frankly, with the way Ari keeps planting her hands on her hips, I'm worried that she might just take this boy down. I can't tell from where I'm sitting exactly what the problem is; I can only tell there is one. Sonny's on it though, and I laugh to myself as I read his "I got this" text.

Smiling, I turn back to Garrett and am ready to ask another question about how he and Sonny met when he asks me quite directly, "so, Will, what exactly are your intentions with Sonny?"

"Umm, excuse me?" I'm surprised at his boldness. "Intentions?"

"Yes. See, Sonny is fiercely protective and also wonderfully forgiving. I don't think there is one person from Sonny's past - friend or date or ex - who has been able to stay mad at him for any length of time. He's an amazing guy, and I think we all knew that he deserved someone equally amazing; that person just didn't happen to be any of us. But it does happen to be you, Will."

"Wow. I mean, I am so in love with him, I just feel like if he loves me half that much, I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

"Sonny doesn't do anything half-way, Will. Trust me when I say this, he's all in. I've known Sonny for 3 and a 1/2 years now, and I've never seen this side of him. He is beyond happy, beyond in love...this man is fully committed - mind, body, and soul. The restless, traveling, exploring Sonny is no more because he's found where he wants to be. And quite honestly, his heart is yours to break." Garrett's focus is now completely on me, and it makes me a bit nervous.

I could actually be offended by his lecture, by the assumption that he knows Sonny so much better than I do, but regardless of that factor, I know deep down that what Garrett says is true. Because I feel just as delicate and vulnerable. My heart is Sonny's to break.

"Garrett, I can't make any guarantees, because we all know that people change and sometimes relationships fail...even the ones you least expect. But I can tell you with complete certainty that I am dedicated to Sonny and can see myself spending the rest of my life with him." I decide to keep it simple, honest, even though it is hard for me to expose myself so fully to this man who happens to be Sonny's most recent ex.

Just then, as if sensing the seriousness of our conversation, Arianna comes bounding over, hands still on her hips as she walks towards me with purpose. "Daddy?" she inquires sternly, "you said that the Octonauts is one of the best shows on TV. Josh says he doesn't like it and doesn't watch it. At. All. Can you believe that?"

"Oh, Arianna," I chide gently, taking her in my lap. Garrett is trying to stifle a laugh and gives me a raised-eyebrows look, as if to say, _I gotta hear your response to this..._

"Yes, Daddy," she answers obediently, batting her eyelashes at me. Golly, she's bringing out all the stops. Just as I'm about to answer, Michael, Josh and Sonny emerge from the playground.

"I'm hungry," Josh whines to Garrett who happens to be guarding their picnic basket and cooler.

"How about some goldfish and grapes for now? It's not quite time for lunch yet, so I think these should tide you over. What do you think?"

Josh nods and Garrett takes him to the other end of the table to set him up with his snack.

"Arianna? Do you want a snack, too?" She shakes her head at me. She wants me to weigh in on the Octonauts questions.

"She can have some of my goldfish," Josh offers so sweetly. His kindness is met with smiles from the adults and a seriously annoyed sigh from my daughter.

"I said I don't wanna snack."

"Arianna Grace. You have better manners than that. What do you say to someone who offers something of theirs to you and you choose not to take it?" She is adorable, yes. She's also funny, sweet, terribly smart for her age, not at all shy and at times completely incorrigible. This moment happens to be one of those times.

For just a second, Arianna looks apologetic, like she might possibly have something nice to say to Josh, but that second passes quickly. "No Thank You." She responds clipping each word with a staccato. I give her another look, the one that lets her know she's walking a fine line between charmingly childish and highly punishable. She tries her response to Josh's offer one more time, "No thank you, Josh. That's nice of you to share."

"Thank you, Arianna, now what was the question you were asking your Daddy?" Sonny decides to join the conversation now. I'm sure he's waiting anxiously to see how exactly I'm going to navigate Ari's question without hurting either child.

"Well, sweetie, you know how you and Sonny love your red converse shoes? You have that in common, right?" She nods at me skeptically.

"And you know how I don't like converse shoes, and I prefer to wear my blue and green running shoes?" I get another nod.

"That's because we are all different and because of that, we all may like different things. I don't love you any less because you like your red converse, and I don't think you love me any less because I like my running shoes, right?"

My daughter pauses for a minute or two, absorbing what I've said. She still has that grimace on her face, the one she's been wearing since she made her way to the picnic table. I can tell, though, that she's actually deep in thought. Her eyebrows always scrunch up and meet in the middle of her forehead. "So you are saying that I can be right and so can he?"

"Pretty much like that, baby." I glance over at Sonny who mouthes the words "nice job", and Michael gives me a solid thumbs up.

"But he disagreed with you, Daddy and you say that you are always right." Oh, out of the mouthes of babes. Sonny and Garrett and Michael all have to stifle their laughter this time, because I have been known to say that every once in a while. Usually as it pertains to Arianna's mother...or my own. And for the most part I'm kidding about it, being sarcastic really, but that is a hard concept for a 5 year old to understand. Perhaps I need to watch myself more closely around her.

"Arianna, I'm usually joking, you know being funny, when I say that. I know that I'm not always right...I mean, most of the time I am, but not quite always." I trail off in a different direction trying to rescue the conversation with my daughter without looking like a complete ass.

"Joking, hah? You're going to go with that?" Garrett is the first to chime in.

"Really, Will, I don't remember you being funny when you said it to me? I think you sounded rather like a petulant child." Sonny shrugs at me, a devious smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, I guess now we know where Ari..."

"Enough!" I stop them from going any further. The men are still laughing at me, Josh is oblivious as he races his goldfish around the obstacle course he's created out of grapes, and Arianna is the only one watching me seriously. "Okay Ari, here is the truth. Sometimes I get mad and stubborn and act like that."

"Like when you were mad at Mommy and took it out on Sonny? You know, the flowers?"

How could I forget. It's only been a couple of weeks since the infamous stargazer lily incident. "Yes, baby, like that. It's not always about right or wrong, it's more about accepting differences and being willing to compromise." I move my eyes from my daughter to Sonny who is looking at me with a subtle, satisfied smile.

"Tell me Arianna, when we both wear our red converse shoes, is the rest of our outfit exactly the same, too?"

"No, Sonny. My outfits are much better." She responds bluntly.

"They are," Sonny says with a smirk. "But we can like the same shoes but not the same shirts. You and Josh can both like Good Luck Charlie, but then you don't have to agree on the Octonauts. Get it? It's okay to disagree sometimes. The important thing is that you respect your differences and learn from them."

I finish for him, "You might even discover something you never knew you liked. Keep an open mind, my dear. It might even end up changing your life."

I realize I've got her a little confused, but I want Sonny to hear me. I want him to hear through my words to Arianna that I am willing to compromise in our relationship, because I'm in this for the long haul. I want him to know how much I appreciate him being so present for my daughter, for not backing away from parenting her, for not just spoiling her, but for caring enough to teach her to be good and kind and compassionate. It breaks my heart just a little to admit that Sonny's been a stronger role model for my daughter in these last few months than Gabi has in the last five years.

I meet Sonny's eyes from across the table, and he smiles adorably, lips upturned and together, his tongue flicking out quickly to bite on his lip. His unconscious habit tends to drive me a little crazy and all I want to do is take him into my arms and hold him forever. I want to kiss him and tell him over and over again how much he means to me. I want to curl up inside of him as he spoons me in our sleep. Instead, I reach across the table for his hand, and he intertwines his long fingers into mine. The tingling from our touch starts in my belly and moves quickly up and down until my body is buzzing with excitement. His touch does this to me every single time. And it never gets old.

"Well, what do we have here?" comes a loud voice from the next picnic table.

"Uncle Rafe!" Arianna runs to give him a hug and then speeds right back.

"Rafe!" I rise from our table quickly to meet him halfway. I reach out to shake his hand but truthfully, I'm hoping for a hug. Rafe is not only my recent ex-brother in law, but he's also been a good friend to me over the years. He really encouraged Gabi and I to move on from our "marriage" and to not stay together just for Arianna. He's been a trusted confidante and an avid supporter. So, it's because of this that I'm so taken aback by his stiffened pose and crossed arms.

"Will, c'mon...seriously? What are you doing?" He sounds annoyed.

"Hmm...well, I'm having a picnic at the park with my daughter. Last time I checked this is a public place," I respond somewhat sarcastically, somewhat not. "So, we have been on the playground and are getting ready for lunch. You are welcome to join us."

Rafe lets out a heavy breath. "No, Will, no. I mean you are here with your new boyfriend and another gay couple and your children? Do you not see how that looks? Are you trying to flaunt your gayness all around Salem, now?"

"I'm sorry..." I am so flabbergasted I can't even speak.

"You are barely divorced from my sister and here you are at the park with your daughter and boy toy. How do you think this will make Gabi feel? Don't you think she'll be hurt? Have you considered that?"

I don't know whether I'm more pissed that he called Sonny my "boy toy", because he so isn't, or that he had the gall to ask if I care how Gabi feels. "Yes, Rafe, I've considered that. And I have considered only her and Arianna for the last five years of my life. But now that stops."

"What do you mean, "now that stops"?"

"What I mean is that for the last 5 years practically every decision I've made has been done so with only two people in mind - Arianna and Gabi. I have worked, postponed travel, spent less time with my parents and siblings, given up social activities, and overall pretty much sacrificed all I could so Arianna had a solid home life and Gabi could still have the freedom to do her own thing. Then what does she do? Gabi cancels time and time again on her weekends with Arianna, and I have always been there to pick up the pieces and soothe our daughter's crushed feelings. But it's high time I start thinking of myself in all of this, and so that's what I'm doing, Rafe. I'm having a wonderful time today picnicking with my daughter, my boyfriend and our new friends. If you or Gabi don't like it, then tough."

"Wow, Will, I have to say I expected a different response from you. Do you not see how silly you look pretending to play house as one big, happy gay family?" Rafe's words are harsh and cruel.

"But we aren't pretending," a small voice speaks softly from behind me.

"I'm so sorry, honey, your Uncle Rafe and I were just...talking."

"You were disagreeing weren't you?" She nods her head before I can answer.

"Yes, honey, we were." I tell her honestly. Rafe looks somewhat unhappy that I've let my daughter into our conversation.

"It's okay, Rafe. Daddy says disagreeing is okay." Arianna informs him earnestly. Rafe doesn't budge. Neither do any of the rest of us. She walks to him and tugs him down to her level. She takes his strong hands in her petite ones. "We all don't have to like the same shoes, Rafe," he looks at her puzzled, unsure of her reference. "Sonny says that it's just important that we respect each other and learn."

Though she's not as eloquent as Sonny, she speaks these words so sincerely that I am filled with pride. Arianna turns back to me and I eagerly give her a thumbs up. All the while Sonny's looking on, too. He's ready to step in if needed to whisk Arianna away from a difficult conversation, but I am going to try as hard as I can to remain civil. I give him a grateful smile and turn back around to face Rafe once again.

"Plus, I love Sonny, Uncle Rafe. And he loves me, too. And that doesn't mean that I love you or Mommy any less. I have enough love for all of you!" She finishes gleefully embracing Rafe one last time before running back to the playground.

"You have a pretty smart little girl, there." Rafe responds after a couple minutes of silence.

"I know. Does what she said make you feel any better? Rafe, I would never try to replace who you and Gabi are to Arianna. I just...I don't know...for the first time in a long time, I feel happy and want to share that with everyone."

"I understand that, too, Will. I guess I'm just so down on relationships right now that it's hard for me to believe that everyone's intentions are pure. It-it...well, just don't go too fast, okay Will? Take your time. I do want you to be happy and I want the same for my sister and Arianna. I'm sorry, Will. Seeing you all together was just a little overwhelming. Like Gabi's already forgotten or replaced."

"Never, ever, Rafe. You are both vital parts of our life, so no one is replacing anyone here. Plus, didn't Arianna assure you that she has enough love for everyone?" I say with a bright smile.

"She did." Rafe responds simply, a smile finally playing at his mouth, too.

"So...join us for lunch?" I repeat my offer, hoping this time he'll take me up on it.

"Nah, Will, I don't want to intrude."

"You wouldn't be intruding, Rafe. You are family. C'mon, I can introduce you officially to Sonny and our friends?"

"Please Uncle Rafe," Arianna has impeccable timing and before he can prepare, she has thrown herself into his arms.

Rafe pulls her close, gives her a very noisy raspberry on her neck and looks back at me. "Okay. I'll join you. Are you sure you have enough food? I could go grab a sandwich?"

"Rafe, we have enough. And we'd love for you to join us."

He smiles and sets Ari down. "Thanks, Will. I'd really like to join you guys."

"It's settled then!" I pat him gently on the arm. "Set another place at the table, please!" I shout back to Sonny and Garrett who are now getting lunch set up.

"Please sit by me?" Arianna begs.

"Of course, princess. I can't think of anyone else I'd like to sit next to more than my beautiful niece."

She grabs Rafe's hand and starts to pull him towards our picnic table. "Good. Let's eat. I'm hungry!" she exclaims. And we all make introductions, sit down at the table and enjoy our family meal together.


	21. Chapter 21

"Jeez, Will, you are such a sissy! Are you a faggot or something?" his words jab like a knife in my back. "Sissy, sissy, sissy," he continues to taunt, "now you're crying? Oh my god, you are such a girl." He pushes just hard enough to throw me off balance, and I fall to the floor. "Actually, I know plenty of girls tougher than you. How does that make you feel?" I try to respond, to be strong and resilient, but in truth, I am breaking and have lost most of my resolve. I don't speak fast enough, so he resumes his mental torture. "And look, you're staying there on your knees, where a girl belongs. It's easier to scrub floors and suck dick that way, hah, Will?"

"Nick? Nick!" a voice from upstairs calls for him. He gives me one final condescending grin and walks away. Despite my best efforts to keep it together until I can get behind a closed door, the unwelcome tears start to fall. I brush them away angrily with my sleeve and grab the chair in front of me for help standing. "Nick...Nick!" the voice is still calling to him.

"He already went upstairs," I mumble to myself. But the summons don't stop, "He's upstairs already!" I shout back to the continued calls for my cousin. Now that I'm upright, I find a tissue in the bathroom and dry my eyes. I'm happy to hear silence in this moment, so I can gather my thoughts. They are interrupted once again, "Nick! Nick, where are you?"

"He's not here!" I scream to the voice up the stairs. "Don't you get that? Not here!" My anger is released, and I close my eyes and ball my fists as the tears flow freely. There is no one in the world that I hate more than my cousin, Nick. Just hearing his name pisses me off. And I so wish that I could rage with anger - throw a punch or slam a fist against the wall - but instead my agony comes out in choked sobs. "God, I **am** a sissy!" I whisper to myself between clenched teeth. Right now I don't know whether I'm madder at him for the bullying or me for my wussy response.

"Nick?" says a softer, gentler voice and then, "Will? Wi-ill? Are you okay?"

"No, I'm really not," I confess to the calming voice getting closer and closer.

"Will? Please Will, wake up!" the command is followed by a gentle shake of my shoulder. I start awake abruptly and glance up into the eyes of no one other than my ex, Gabi.

"What?" I respond bitterly, trying to sit up from the couch. "What is up that is so damn important you had to wake me from my nap," I demand groggily. I rub my eyes more out of habit than necessity. Taking a deep breath, I try to shake off the memory that continues to plague my thoughts even now after 10 years. Softening, I give Gabi a half smile. "So, I'm sorry. What's up? Is Arianna okay?"

"Will, she's fine. She's in her room napping. The three of us have had a busy day."

"Three?" I question curiously.

"Yeah," Gabi flashes me a quick smile. "I met this guy a couple of weeks ago in class. He asked me out, I said yes, and today he took Arianna and I out for lunch and to do some shopping."

"That's great, Gabs. Do I know this person?"

She gives a slight nod. "Yes, as a matter of fact, Will, I think you might even be related to him." It can't be. Or at least I hope for everyone's sake, it's not him. I have lots of Horton-Brady relatives, so I start narrowing them down by age and geographic location. Just as I'm sorting through my list, he comes into the living room. The one person I have dreaded running into is right there in front of me. In my house. With my ex-wife and daughter.

"Will," Gabi gushes, "this is Nick Fallon. Nick, this is my...friend and ex and Arianna's father, Will Horton."

"We know each other already, Gabi," Nick responds avoiding eye contact with me.

Know - yes, I suppose that's true. Had he said that we used to be friends or even like each other, I would have had to politely disagree. The truth is I don't know what Nick is to me anymore. I know what he used to be. Nick was my worst nightmare come true; he represented everything I abhorred most in the world...violence, apathy, cruelty. This cousin of mine, related by blood, did everything in his power to torture me and make my life miserable. Nick made me doubt myself, he made me question who I was and everything I felt. He made me hate myself, when I should have been hating him. He was a bully like none other. And he might still be. Which is why I have to say something for my daughter's sake.

"Yes, Gabi, Nick and I know each other. In fact we have quite the rocky history." I might be speaking to Gabi, but my eyes haven't left Nick's face. Finally he meets my gaze, and I force him to hold my stare. "Nick, tell me, why do you think you deserve to have Gabi and my baby girl, Arianna in your life after all the pain and suffering you caused me growing up?" I'm blunt and direct and unwavering. He's not bullying me anymore. And I sure as hell won't have him polluting my daughter's mind with his homophobic rhetoric. "Have you changed? Because it is really hard for me to believe that you have done enough in the last years to redeem yourself for all that you put me through as a child."

Nick continues to hold my gaze, and I am somewhat surprised by the vulnerability I see. Looking at him now, sad green eyes, pale complexion, trembling hands and a nervously shaking leg, I see for the first time ever a human being behind his tough, bully shell. Perhaps I should give him the benefit of the doubt? Perhaps he deserves another chance? Maybe he has turned his life around, abandoned his evil persona for someone who actually deserves to exist in this world.

* * *

*****flashback*****

"Nick!" the voice of his great aunt Maggie bellows downstairs. She's been calling him for at least 10 minutes with no response. You'd think she'd get it? But, no, and I try one more time to keep my voice from cracking and stuttering enough to tell her that he's not here.

"Aunt Maggie, um, Nick isn't here. He left a while ago."

"Do you know where he went?" she demands as if I'm keeping some sort of secret.

"Don't know." And I don't care and don't want him back anytime soon.

"Will, please go find him. He's probably messing around outside again. I need his help with some of my medication."

"Um, I can help, if you want, Maggie? I'm happy to." For the most part, I like my great-aunt Maggie, but she barely seems to notice me because she's focused on her brilliant grandson, Nick, most of the time.

"No, Will, just go find Nick, please."

"O-o-okay." Why do I agree to this? Why would I ever knowingly seek out my nemesis? Why? It's the same reason I cower as soon as Nick speaks to me, it's the reason I feel tossed from household to household, being cared by relatives but loved by no one. I do it because I am lonely and afraid and so desperate for attention that I put myself in harm's way just to feel an inkling of anything but emptiness. Whether it is self-loathing or frustration or pain...at least I _feel_.

So, at Maggie's behest, I head outside in search of my cousin. I explore the backyard, taking in the rusty swing-set, the flower garden that hasn't been tended regularly in quite some time, and the old garage with its peeling paint and broken shingles. This place feels more like home than anywhere else I've lived. I like the fact that no one ever joins me on the old swings, no one ever misses the few flowers I pick regularly to put in my room, and no one ventures into the dilapidated garage looking for me when I don't come for dinner. Besides the times when Carlos, the boy next door, comes over to hang out, I spend most of my time alone. Carlos is really my only friend. I still keep my feelings pretty guarded around him, but at least we make each other laugh with silly made-up stories and reenactments of Star Wars' greatest battles. Plus, Carlos swings with me. And he's not too afraid to explore the dark, musty garage with me, either.

Just as I round the corner by the fence and head towards the garage, I hear voices whispering, giggling, conspiring. I have a feeling I've found Nick, but I'm not sure who I'm going to find with him.

"Man, you have to stop hanging out with him. He's a sick bastard! You know those times he takes you into the garage alone? He wants to touch you, to get into your pants. Do you really want to hang out with a gay boy, hah, Carlos?"

Oh my god. Nick's not just being cruel, but he's also filling Carlos' head with horrible lies. I want to scream and kick and shout at him. I want to tell Carlos that Nick's wrong, that I don't have an ulterior motive, that his friendship means something to me. But Nick has apparently been poisoning his mind for a while now, and as soon as I come up behind the two of them, huddled under the apple tree behind the garage, Carlos takes off. I don't even get a chance to explain.

Nick smirks at Carlos' sudden departure, stands up using the tree for balance and then walks right by me, making sure to push into me just hard enough to make his point. Nick is the master, he manipulates his puppets and then watches them fight to the death. And he's slayed me this round...ending with a triumphant win over the only friend I've ever had.

"What do you want, Will?" Nick asks from in front of me as he heads back to the house.

"Maggie wants to see you. She says she needs your help." I speak timidly and follow a safe distance behind.

"Jeez. That woman is always on my ass. What now?" Nick's temper flares and just for a brief second, I see the slightest bit of worry cross his typically arrogant features.

"Help with her medication, I guess." I repeat Maggie's request and watch him sulk back into the house.

"Oh, and Will?" he call's from behind his shoulder as he approaches the side door, "don't go running after Carlos. He thinks you are disgusting and never wants to see you again. So sorry." His apology is laced with insincerity. The hell you are! Now not only has Nick taken away my self-esteem and my faith in humanity, but he's also taken away my one and only friend.

"Go to hell," I mumble under my breath, eyes cast down onto the grass.

"What was that dear cousin Will? You're not disrespecting me now are you?"

"No." I respond resolutely. He's taken away my voice, too. He's taken away everything because I let him.

* * *

*****present*****

"Well, Nick? What have you done to turn your life around? I'm very anxious to hear." He's not going to take away my voice this time.

He pauses for an unusually long time before answering my question. "Ummm, I can't. I'm sorry Gabi, I know we were going to hang out a little while Arianna napped, but I can't do this. It's way too hard, so I'm going. I'm really sorry."

Gabi barely understands what's going on, except when Nick walks to the door to leave, she runs to him and gives him a generous hug. "Thank you for the date, Nick. I had a really good time...and I know that Arianna did, too. Let's try to get together again sometime soon." With a small peck on Gabi's check, Nick is out the door, rumbling his car as he takes off.

"What the hell, Will?" Gabi glares at me while Nick shuts the door behind him.

"I told you we had history."

"Yeah. I think that was the understatement of the decade." Gabi turns bitterly from me and heads to her room. "Can we talk tomorrow? I'm suddenly very tired and in need of some sleep." She makes her way down the hallway and into her bedroom, without even the slightest glance back at me.

"Sure Gabi," I feel guilty and ashamed that I let past feelings lead me out of control. Even after all these years, he's still getting to me. I'm still letting him get to me.

Just as I'm about to get a drink from the fridge, my phone buzzes. I really hope this is a message from Sonny. I miss him so much, and I'm desperate for his touch, his embrace. Because with Nick's return came some of that emptiness that used to consume me as a younger, more insecure and fragile Will.

_Sonny: How's everything going?_

_Me: Fine. More later. Can I see U soon?_

_Sonny: Sure. R U sure U R ok?_

_Will: Yes. I just really need 2 talk 2 u. I miss u so much._

_Sonny: R U free for lunch 2morrow?_

_Will: Yes. But can't I see U before that?_

_Sonny: What's wrong, Will? And don't lie becuz I know when something is up w/u._

_Will: U know me well._

_Sonny: I do and I care about u so much. So talk 2 me._

It's as if my fingers are suddently frozen; they don't want to move across the virtual keyboard on my phone. So, I just sit there, trying to focus on the good things in my life like Arianna and Sonny. And I try to keep myself from crying.

A few minutes must have passed because all of a sudden my phone rings. As soon as I pick up, I hear a frantic voice, "Will, babe, are you okay? Please tell me what's wrong. I'm worried about you." Hearing Sonny's voice pushes me that last tiny step towards the breakdown that's been lurking, bubbling under the surface for some time. I start to cry, openly, loudly, and without reservation. "Will, stay right where you are. I am on my way to you." I hear my phone click off and quickly I'm plunged back into the depths of my own dark thoughts.

_**Why is Sonny with me? Doesn't he know that I'm damaged goods? Doesn't he know that if he sticks around, I'll only bring him down with me? Doesn't he realize how much better he would be without me?**  
_  
Sonny must have broken every speed limit law on his way to my place, because he is here within seconds, it seems. And one look at me with his lovingly concerned brown eyes sets everything in motion. The feelings I have buried since I was a child come out with a vengeance, and Sonny simply holds me through my wailing, all the while rubbing my back and whispering the sweetest 'I love yous' into my ear.

I'm not sure how long I cried. And I'm not sure how we made it into my bedroom/office, but we're there, snuggling on my bed. I turn my head slightly and pull just enough out of the crook of Sonny's neck to inhale deeply before speaking. "Thank you, Son." My lips brush his jawline and he holds me even tighter.

"Will, I never want to see you like that ever again." He lectures me sternly but gently. "So, please talk to me about what's going on."

I chuckle sarcastically. "How much time do you have?" I smile sadly as he cradles my chin in his hands. I must look a fright. When I cry, I turn bright red and my face gets completely puffy. But that doesn't seem to stop him from pressing butterfly kisses across my temple, down my hair line, onto my swollen cheeks and lips.

"I'm here, Will, for as long as you need me to be. I love you."

"I love you too. Is there any way you could stay over here tonight? I know we talked about waiting until Gabi moves out, but I don't want to let go of you right now. I'm so drained...I just want to fall asleep in your arms. Could we please, Sonny?"

"Will...but Gabi and Arianna…" he hesitates, and I'm afraid I'm going to start to cry again, so I look away, trying to keep my roller coaster emotions in check.

"Please?" I'm not too embarrassed to beg. Not tonight.

Finally, he gives in, pulls me closer into him, so our bodies are flush against each other. It is in this moment that I feel safer, and more loved and protected than I ever have in my whole life. "Okay, Will, one night."

"Thank you. I feel like I can't say that enough."

"Well, you don't have to. This is what partners do for each other, right?" Sonny gives me a shy, half smile.

"Partners, huh? No more boyfriends?" I can't help but tease him.

"I think we're beyond boyfriends, now, don't you?"

"Yeah. I suppose so. You are my rock, Sonny, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well, thank goodness you won't have to find out." We both just smile at each other.

"Yes, thank goodness." I shift slightly to pull the covers down under us, move us both so we're lying on the bed and wrap my arms back around him.

"Will?"

"Yeah, Son?"

"Don't you want to talk about what happened earlier?" He's inquisitive and trying to be sensitive at the same time.

"I do, but not anymore tonight. I just want to sleep in peace, cuddled with you, listening to your heart beat. Is that okay? We can talk tomorrow when we've gotten some rest."

"If you're sure, Will, then I'm okay with that."

"Thank you so much."

"I told you to stop saying that!"

"Fine. I take my thank you back." I chide playfully.

"Good. Now get comfortable so you can get some much-needed rest." Sonny's bossing me around, but I'll never balk at him when he's taking care of me like this.

"I love you so much, Sonny."

"I love you too, Will. Good night."

I close my eyes and implore my brain and the universe to fill my dreams with Sonny and not Nick. But I don't remember dreaming at all. Instead I just relish in the feeling of waking up beside my most incredible, wonderfully caring and beautiful partner. _I could get used to this._ I can't and won't ever get used to Nick being a part of Gabi or Arianna's life, but opening my eyes from sleep in my own home and having the privilege of gazing at Sonny's breathtaking features, well, that I can and plan on getting used to. Very soon.


	22. Chapter 22

I wake up to the most wonderful feeling: Sonny's fingers tangling in my hair, while he presses gentle kisses to my forehead and temple. I take a moment to just breathe because my face is pressed up against his chest, and every time I inhale, I am intoxicated by that amazingly spicy, coffee-scented skin of his. Had I not remembered yesterday afternoon and evening so damn well, I might have thought that Sonny in my bed, in my house was all just a dream. But he had stayed overnight here despite his reservations; he stayed for me. It is just one more quality I can add to my ever-growing list of "reasons why I love Sonny Kiriakis so much".

"So, are you ready to talk to me this morning?" Sonny murmurs in my ear as his lips brush my lobe and down my neck.

"Mmmm-hmmm," I respond stretching my neck to expose more delicate skin for him. He lovingly indulges in my open invitation, and he starts nipping lightly down to my collarbone. His one hand is still in my hair and holding my head in place, and the other is now skimming across my chest and slowing moving towards the elastic of my boxers.

His touch feels so amazing this morning, and I know that I need this more than the pre-planned heart-to-heart talk. Conversation can be had later; now I need Sonny to revive me like the paddles on a defibrillator do for a heart attack victim. I need him to make me feel alive again, to remind me that I am loved and belong in this world with him. I want him to explore further, to move that hand inside my boxers to my quickly growing arousal, but Sonny is too respectful for that. So, if I want anything to happen this morning, I am going to have to be the one to initiate. And be the one to promise to be quiet as much as I can as I orgasm, because we know how vocal I can be.

"Sonny? Will you, ummm..." My proposition was on the tip of my tongue but kept getting lost every time Sonny's lips reconnected with my skin.

"Will I what, my love?" Sonny whispers against my adam's apple as he efficiently moves to the other side of my neck.

"Ah, I know that you aren't as comfortable here with Gabi and Arianna in the other room sleeping, but I need you right now, Son..."

"And you have me, babe, I'm here for you." He pulls away from his ministrations to look me deeply in the eyes. He is so stunningly beautiful and attentive and sweet, and I'm having trouble formulating the words to tell him specifically what I want - what I need from him this morning. But as he moves his one hand from my hair to rub my burning my cheek, my confidence returns, and I take his other hand, still tiptoeing around my abdomen, and direct it inside my underwear to my hardening length.

Sonny gasps first, I think maybe a little shocked at my brazenness. And then when his adept fingers close around me and start to stroke, I am the one gasping, panting: "please, Son, this is what I need...your touch, your love. I feel like I lost a bit of myself yesterday, and I need you to make me whole again."

"Okay, my love, I can do that. Are you going to be able to, ummmm, keep it down?" he asks me coyly as his hand steadies for a moment.

"Yes, yes, I can. Just...you might need to kiss me through it, okay?"

"Okay...gladly," he says with a smile, resuming his tantalizing motions squeezing, pumping, and pulling. It doesn't take long for me to reach the point of no return, where all rational thought ceases and pure instinct kicks in. My body involuntarily clenches, my back arches, pressing me further into his touch, and all of his kisses can't completely hide the sounds he's eliciting from me. But I don't hold back, it's impossible, because I'm so desperate to feel him that quite frankly, I don't give a damn who hears.

As my orgasm reaches its apex, my mouth drops open and I want to yell, to shout at the top of my lungs how much I love and adore him, but he keeps his promise and smothers my moans with kisses and holds my tongue hostage until the ride is over. Settling my quivering body back tight against his side, I hand him a few tissues to use to clean up. He waves them off and keeps his hand on me, reassuring me that he's here and is willing to do anything to bring me back this morning.

After about 20 minutes, I'm finally able to speak. "I love you so much, Sonny, thank you."

"You are welcome, but that was just as much for me as it was you."

I'm a little puzzled by this. "What do you mean?"

"I don't like feeling distanced from you, and that's what I felt last evening and all through the night. This brought you back to me, Will, and I..." he chokes up a little.

"I know," I interrupt, "I think we both needed this."

Sonny nods his head and lays back down on the pillow, hand still in its same place on my now softening cock. I put my hand back over his and set it free from the confines of my boxers. Using the tissues I grabbed, I start to clean him and myself off, wanting to focus entirely on his embrace and our closeness and not the inevitible stickiness we'll feel if we don't. I toss the used kleenex into the bedside garbage can and snuggle back in.

He lets me lay in silence for a while - lets me stay quiet until I'm ready to share. I think it's time...I owe him that. I take a deep, shaky breath and just start.

"The guy that Gabi went out on a date with yesterday is a cousin of mine. I grew up seeing quite a lot of him, and he wasn't a nice kid at all. At least not to me." I'm concentrating on the dark chest hairs that sprinkle Sonny's pecs and trying to figure out how to say what I need to when he reads my mind.

"He bullied you, didn't he Will? He harassed you for being gay."

"Yes," I take another deep breath and exhale slowly, "I moved around a lot as a kid from parent to parent to aunt to uncle to grandparent and all over again, staying with anyone who would take me off my mother's hands. I spent a lot of time staying out at the family farm, with Aunt Maggie and Hope and Bo and eventually Nick. He made it his personal mission to tease and torture me until I was completely broken. He even met up with my one friend, a neighborhood boy named Carlos, to inform him that I was a pervert and was only hanging out with him so I could see his dick." I shook my head at the memory. "Carlos was really all I had in this world, and Nick stole him away from me, along with all my dignity and self-esteem. I don't think I've ever felt so small and insignificant than when I was with Nick. It took years of therapy with Grandma Marlena to finally recognize that the problem was all his and not at all mine. So, seeing him after years of NOT seeing him, well, it just brought back all sorts of self-doubt and unworthiness. It made me start to wonder if I deserve to have Ari in my custody, wonder if I deserve to be happy...to be with you."

"Of course you do, Will! In fact, I don't believe that anyone deserves it more. You have made sacrifice after sacrifice in your life with Gabi and Ari, and it is your turn to start following your dreams and focusing on making YOU happy. I know that you'll always be Ari's father and Gabi's ex-husband, but those can be aspects of your life, they don't have to be your entire life. Arianna adores you and will be your baby girl forever, but she needs to learn some independence, too."

The thought of my baby girl, who was hardly a baby at all anymore, pulling away from me and working towards independence scares me. She's still so young and has so much to learn! But I know my Grandma Marlena is right in terms of letting Gabi AND Ari make their own mistakes. I'll never be able to protect them forever, even if I think that I can.

"I know that you are right, Sonny. I just feel so badly for Arianna, you know? I want her to have the perfect life that I never did."

"Trust me, Will, she is one lucky little girl. She has so many people around her, loving her unconditionally and a big part of that is you and the example you've set for her. Arianna will thrive - in fact she already is - and has lots of people around her who will make sure of that."

"Thank you, Son. Do you consider yourself one of those people who want to make sure Ari lives a happy life?"

"Yes, I do, Will. I am deeply in love with you, and I adore and love your daughter, too. I want to be a big part of both of your lives for some time to come."

"Thank you for saying that."

"Well, I mean it."

"Good, because both Ari and I want you around for a long time."

"Ha! I'm pretty sure you are stuck with me now," he props himself up on one elbow and I do the same, so we are facing each other.

"I can't think of anything I'd like more," I wink and lean in for a kiss that lingers and is filled with promise.

* * *

"Sonny!" my daughter runs up to him in the kitchen as he's enjoying a cup of coffee.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite Arianna!" He replies, tousling her black curls.

"You know another Arianna?" she questions him incredulously.

"No," he winks at her.

She looks puzzled for a minute and then responds, "you know what? You are my favorite Sonny, too."

We both smile at each other and she adds, "I don't know any other Sonnys, but if I did, I still know you'd be my favorite." She hops up at her place at the table and starts pouring cereal into a bowl.

Laughing, I kiss her on the top of the head and fill her bowl with milk. Gabi still isn't up yet, but truthfully, I'm not surprised. She typically sleeps in and after yesterday's events, I'm sure she doesn't want to really see me anyway. I do know that I need to explain things to her, maybe not all the gory details, but enough so she that she can make an informed decision whether or not to see Nick anymore. So, at some point today, that conversation will have to be had.

Arianna sets her spoon down for a minute to ask, "Daddy, can I have some juice?"

"Sure, honey."

"Thank you. Sonny do you want juice? You can have some if you want."

"No thanks, Arianna. But it's really nice of you to offer."

"Okay," she says with her mouth full of cereal. "So, Sonny did you come over this morning to see Daddy?"

"Arianna, chew your food before talking please," I scold her.

"Sorry, Daddy. So, did you?" she asks again focusing back on Sonny.

"Actually, honey, he came here last night and stayed over." I wasn't sure how this was going to go down.

"Cool!" she responds excitedly, looking back and forth between the two of us. "Daddy's never had a sleepover before! I bet you had fun!"

Stifling a laugh, Sonny adds, "we sure did." Although I'm not sure 'fun' is the best way to describe last night. First it was horrible, I was so out of sorts seeing Nick again after so many years. Then I felt calm once Sonny arrived, and this morning's romp I would describe more as amazing and fulfilling than fun.

"Speaking of fun, Arianna," I watch her as she nods her head, "I thought maybe you and I would go to the Children's Museum today. What do you think?" I know the museum is one of her favorite places.

"Okay," she looks slightly confused, "but Nick is supposed to come over again today and take Mommy and me to the zoo."

"Oh," I don't even know what to say to that. I don't want her to go to the zoo - or anywhere else either - with Nick Fallon. I don't care how much he's changed or how much he claims to like Gabi or how much he has learned from his mistakes. Nick has yet to prove any of those things to me, so until that happens, Ari won't be going anywhere with him. Gabi can do as she pleases, she always does, but I refuse to subject our daughter to the kind of person who is willing to crucify another to make himself feel better. I recognize that at some point, Arianna will meet other "Nicks" in the world, but for now, I am going to do my best to protect her from that kind of negativity for as long as I possibly can.

"Well, Mommy and I will talk about it, okay?" Sonny looks at me with concern and gives me a reassuring smile. Just him being here, by my side, makes me feel stronger. This is how relationships are supposed to be, right? It's still amazing to me that I've managed to get myself into a positive, interdependent relationship. Not quite sure how that happened. But I'm not complaining and definitely not doing anything to sabotage it either. Sonny is a keeper; even I know that with 100% certainty.

"Sonny? Will you be coming with us today?" Arianna's sweet voice interrupts my thoughts.

"No, sorry sweetie, I'd like to but it's Sunday and I have to work a shift at the coffee shop." My daughter looks crushed, and I feel her pain. He's not even gone yet and I miss him already.

"Okay. Before you go, can you play checkers with me?" Arianna looks at him hopefully. Ever since those first times we met at the coffee shop, when Sonny asked for her help in improving his game, she has taken it upon herself to be his personal checkers coach. It's adorable really, because she explains things so simply to him, as if he's her age and just learning to play. But Sonny is equally as amazing and constantly dotes on her and gushes about what a wonderful teacher she is. He's even won a couple of games, and Ari is not shy about taking full credit for his improved aptitude.

After a couple of games, Sonny has to get ready to leave. I set Ari up with a spelling game on the computer and walk with him back to my bedroom to collect his things.

"You are so incredible with her, you know?"

"She's one special little girl, Will. It's impossible not to adore her."

"I think so, too. But really, thank you for being such an amazing role model for her. Thanks for being so patient and generous and understanding..."

"Are we still talking about Arianna?"

"Not really. I'm sure they could apply, but I was really talking about me. You were amazing and so kind last night. I don't know what I would have done if you wouldn't have come over." He pulls me into his arms and runs his palms over my shoulder blades.

"I thought you realized this by now...that I'll do anything for you, Will. I love you, and I don't ever see that changing."

Wow. That sort of declaration makes my breath catch and my chest hurt. "Do you really mean that?" I can't believe he's that certain about me - about us - and our future.

"I do, Will. And please don't freak out about it, okay? We're taking our time, working through things together and when the time is right, I'll ask you to marry me," he concludes with a grin.

"I'm going to hold you to that," I answer and pull him in for a tender kiss. It grows slightly more intense when I bring my hands up to his hair, and we break away with a heavy sigh, resting our foreheads together.

"What are your plans today?" he asks me as he sits on my bed to put his shoes on.

"Well, the first thing I need to do is talk to Gabi. I have to hit this off at the pass, so despite how much I am NOT looking forward to that conversation, it needs to happen."

"Good, Will. I am proud of you for recognizing that. Call me as soon as you do, or if you need moral support before or during, okay?"

"Okay, my love, I will. I'll miss you today..."

"I'll miss you, too. But duty calls!" He grabs my hand as we walk down the hall and to the front door.

"Ari, did you want to say good-bye to Sonny?" I ask her, pulling her away from her game.

"Yes!" and she comes running over and throws herself into his arms. "Good-bye Sonny!"

"Good-bye sweet Ari, we'll see each other real soon, okay?"

"Okay!" and she returns to her place in front of the computer.

"Bye to you, babe," he holds me tightly and whispers into my ear, making me tingle.

"See you later," I whisper back into his ear and watch as he heads out the door.

Just as I turn around to check on Arianna, Gabi emerges from her room looking disheveled and grumpy. "Morning," is all she says.

"Hi mommy!" Arianna says a bit too enthusiastically, and Gabi grabs her head.

"Hi sweetpea," Gabi manages.

She looks tired, crabby and not in the mood to talk, but I know that we need to. As if reading my mind, Gabi speaks up, "Will, we need to talk about yesterday and why you have such an issue with Nick."

"Yes we do, Gabi. We certainly do."

* * *

_A/N: Thank you all for continuing to read and review. I appreciate every single one of your comments. Also, I apologize for posting slower than usual. It's been busy at work and home, and I haven't had as much time to focus on writing. So, thanks for your patience! _


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N: Well, it's been almost a month since my last post! I can't believe it. I understand if you have to review the last few chapters in order to remember where we left off. :-) I feel so very lucky to have met many wonderful people at the Days fan event in Chicago last weekend. Even with the unfortunate news of Chandler's earlier than expected departure, I continue to be amazed at the incredible people who write, read and review our WilSon stories. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Every comment means so much to me, and I treasure every WilSon friend I've made!_

* * *

**Chapter 23**

"Will, we need to talk about yesterday and why you have such an issue with Nick."

"Yes we do, Gabi. We certainly do."

* * *

We're sitting in the living room, each with a cup of coffee, and she's staring at her hands as she picks at a stray hangnail. She's avoiding looking at me. She's not saying anything either. And I'm not sure she's even absorbed what I've just shared.

"Gabi? Did you hear what I said at all?" I am starting to get really perturbed. She asked for this conversation; she wants to know my history with Nick, and yet, when I tell her, she shuts down. "Gabi, say something!" I yell at her. I've had it and I'm pissed. "You wanted to know this, so now you do. And you need to make the right decision about whether or not to see him again."

She continues to sit in silence, alternating between sipping her coffee and fiddling with her fingers. I allow her a little more time to take things in, and finally, the silence is broken.

"Will, did he really do those things to you?" Gabi whispers without meeting my gaze.

"Yes, Gabi, he did. Nick was incredibly mean and cruel to me growing up. I hated him...I still feel like I do. And that's why I won't let him around Arianna. No discussion."

"I get it, Will, and I'm sorry you had to go through that. I just, umm, I think Nick might be a different person now. He seems gentler, Will...kinder. I've just met him, I know, but I have a hard time believing that the guy I spent the day with yesterday, who took us shopping and treated Arianna so well, is the same person who bullied you as a kid." Gabi pauses before speaking again, "Will, maybe he's changed."

"Gabi, please don't. You've seen him a couple of times, and I've known him most of my life. Don't pretend to know him better than I do." Despite our differences, I thought for sure by sharing this information with Gabi, she would see why I was so affected by finding him in my house, with my daughter. But she's focused on herself only. Why do I continue to be surprised every time Gabi puts her own needs before anyone else's? Especially our daughter's?

* * *

**:::flashback:::**

"Nick," Aunt Maggie calls from upstairs, "come up and help me, please." Nick glares at me and runs up the stairs, leaving me hurt and fuming, fists clenched trying not to cry after his flurry of homophobic insults.

"How is he still her favorite?" I spat angrily, not understanding why I'm always the one left behind. I decide to do something about it that day, so I tiptoe upstairs, hugging the wall closely, trying not to make a sound. I make it to the top and hear the two of them talking in the kitchen.

"Now, Nickie, I need your help," Aunt Maggie chides gently, rattling the bottles of pills she keeps above the sink. "Can you grab the bottle way in the back, honey?" Nick doesn't speak a word but I can tell he's pulling something down from the shelf. "Thank you sweetie," Maggie says encouragingly.

I hear a glass being filled with water from the tap while various pill bottles are being opened. "There we go," Maggie says and I'm assuming Nick's dispensing her regiment of daily medication. "Now let me see, ahhhh..."

Wait - why is Maggie having Nick open his his mouth for her to see? Isn't she the one taking medication? At this point I'm really confused.

"I'm swallowing them, okay!" my cousin yells and slams the glass on the counter.

"Nick, honey, you know I have to check every single time. I can't let you hide pills again, because it is not good when you are off your medication. I know the lithium makes you feel a bit dazed, but..."

"A bit dazed?" he interrupts her, his tone hard and bitter. "I'm sorry, Aunt Maggie, but have you ever had to take this stuff?" He doesn't let her answer. "No! You haven't! I hate being on this; it makes me feel like I'm sleepwalking through my day. I can't always remember what I do or what I say and I hate not being in control of my own body!"

Maggie doesn't react or give in; she's probably heard all of this before. "I'm sorry, Nickie, I know the side effects are awful. But it is helping you, isn't it? Do you feel like you are less manic these days?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I suppose," he finally admits. "But I still get so angry. Sometimes I-I don't recognize what I'm doing until it's too late."

"I know, dear. You can't control your illness, Nick. That's why you need your medication. Someday maybe people will understand once they know what you've been battling."

"Great. Do I really want people to know I'm bipolar? I don't think so. I thought these meds were my best chance at a normal life. Well, I don't feel normal." Nick's voice has gotten softer, sadder and it cracks on the word _'normal'_.

"Nick, you are doing your best. Now come on, finish taking your meds. We need to stay on schedule." I hear the rustling of clothes, like maybe Aunt Maggie pulled Nick into a hug, but the moment is very short lived.

"Fine. When do I go back to the Dr?" he demands, swallowing his last pill.

"Next week. We need to get your Depakote levels checked and see if we can decrease your lithium dosage. Don't worry, honey, we want to help you feel as normal as possible, and I think we're getting closer."

"Thanks, Aunt Maggie. Sorry for yelling at you." Nick seems sincere with his apology. I wonder if I'll ever hear one of those from him. I doubt it.

"Ahhhhh..." Maggie demonstrates and then Nick follows, "ahhhhh..." showing her a clean mouth, no hidden pills. "You can go back to playing now, dear. Thanks for your help."

She thanked him for his help? Seriously? All this time I thought when Maggie called for him that he was putting together her medication. But it's the other way around. No wonder why she would never let me help. The medication has always been Nick's, and everyday when she calls him upstairs, she has to monitor him to ensure he's actually swallowing his pills.

I creep quietly back down the stairs and turn on the television, paying absolutely no attention to what I'm watching, unable to focus on anything but Nick and the information I just so cowardly obtained.

* * *

"Will? Hello Will? Where did you just drift off to?" I am jolted out of my memory by Gabi's hand on my arm. "Are you okay? I just lost you for a couple minutes in there..."

"Yes, I'm fine," I respond immediately and get up from the couch to refill my coffee. How come I've not remembered this until today? And is it really a memory...or is my mind playing tricks on me? No. I can still hear their conversation in my head, and I can remember those late mornings when I'd get a reprieve. It was right after Nick took his medication that he left me alone. It all makes so much sense now...the anger, the cruelty, the out of control behavior, the "help" Maggie always needed from Nick...I can't believe that I didn't see it until now.

"Do you need more coffee, Gabi?" I ask as I pour myself another cup. She shakes her head, so I turn the pot off. "Do you mind if I go to my room for just a bit? I need to do a little research today."

"Ah, no, that's fine Will." She rests back on the couch and looks at me as if she has more to say. "Will, I think I am going to still see Nick today; he won't be taking me and Arianna to the zoo as originally planned - which I totally understand - but I would like to have a chance to talk to him alone. I really do think there's something there, Will, that he's a different person now. I want to give him a chance."

"Okay, Gabi. Just - be careful. I don't care how much time has passed since he bullied me, I still believe that he's capable of that same kind of hate." I give her a small smile and head off to my room and shut the door behind me.

(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)

"Sonny, how could I have forgotten that one memory? How could I have blocked that out? Maybe I wouldn't have been so hard on him if I had remembered this?" As soon as I get back to my room, I call him.

"Will! Stop that! You weren't the bully, remember? He was! He teased you and called you names, he turned your best friend against you, and he's never apologized to you. I don't care what mental illness he has, that's still not an excuse for him treating you the way he did." Sonny's words comfort me. He's right, as usual. Why do I find it so easy to twist things around so the guilty finger is pointing back at me? I did nothing wrong! He did.

"I know you are right, Sonny, thanks. A part of me just wants to believe that maybe he wouldn't have been so horrible to me if he was...ummm, not mentally ill. So, I looked up bi-polar disorder online and learned a whole lot...and some of it is pretty intense. Extreme mood swings, can't sleep, can't focus and then the depression is so bad it sometimes leads to suicidal thoughts. I just...I had no idea he was going through this, Sonny."

I hear Sonny sigh on the other end. "Will, I am sorry for Nick. It couldn't have been easy growing up like that. But do you honestly believe that his illness excuses him for how he acted? There are all sorts of people out there who are bipolar, or schizophrenic or have brain cancer and they don't bully or abuse or commit crimes."

"I don't know that Nick's ever committed a crime, Sonny..."

"But at the same time, you don't know that he hasn't. He's been verbally abusive and physically violent towards you and your family, Will. I guess I just keep thinking back to Arianna...does anything you've learned about Nick change your mind about him spending time with your daughter?"

"No. Not at all." I don't hesitate one second when answering. Once again, Sonny has such a calming affect on me, and he helps me see the situation with amazing clarity. "Thank you," I say to him suddenly.

"What did I do now?" he teases me, and I can hear his smile through the phone. God do I love this man. Not only is he gorgeous and super hot, but he is also so sweet, kind and really good for me. Sometimes I wonder what he sees in me. I feel like I do all the "needing" and he does all the "giving". Can our relationship continue to work like that?

"You're just so wonderful, Son. You know exactly how to calm me down and say the most perfect things. I wish I gave you half as much as you give to me..."

"You're not serious, are you Will? I feel like the lucky one. You don't give yourself enough credit."

"You keep telling me that, but I don't see it the same way."

"I know, babe. What do I need to do to convince you how amazing you are? You are the best Dad ever, you are a loyal friend, you've got the most incredible eyes and not to mention the sweetest ass ever that fits perfectly into my hands...especially when you're on top of me and..."

"Sonny! Okay, I get it." Had he been here with me he would be witnessing two things right now: 1 - my face turning a brilliant red, in fact I'm pretty sure I'm blushing all the way down my neck and onto my chest, too AND 2 - my lower half standing at complete attention, ready for those hands he just spoke of on my ass and so much more.

"Umm, Will?" he says clearing his throat.

"Umm, yes?" I have a feeling his thoughts went to the same place mine did just by the huskiness in his voice.

"How about you come over here for a late dinner and another sleepover? I'm sure Arianna would approve."

I laugh out loud remembering her reaction to Sonny staying over. _"Daddy's never had a sleepover before!"_ If I hadn't been so happy this morning waking up to Sonny, that statement could have brought me to tears. Damn right, Arianna, Daddy's never, ever had anyone sleep over at his house before. Until last night. And soon, I hope we'll be able to make this "sleepover" a nightly occurrence.

"I don't know, Son. Gabi is going out with Nick today, and I'm taking Ari to the Children's Museum. So, I'm not sure when we'll be home and if Gabi will be here to stay the night with Arianna. Can I let you know?"

"Of course, Will, but don't make me wait too long, okay? Maybe you and Ari could stop by the shop before you head to the museum? I'd really like to see the both of you."

"That we can do." I'm grinning from ear to ear, and I cannot help it. It's wonderful to be in love.

"Good," he says quickly, "so, I'll see you and your adorable daughter in a few hours then?"

"Yep."

"Okay, well, I'd better get back to work, so I can take a break when you guys get here."

"Sounds great." I pause a few seconds, wanting to draw out our conversation. "Sonny?"

"Yes?"

"I love you." We've said these words to each other before, but this time for some reason I feel more vulnerable and exposed.

"I know, Will, and I love you, too. So very much." Once again, his words are perfect.

"I'll see you in a few hours."

"I can't wait."

(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)

"Ari, are you about ready to go?" I'm yelling to her in her bedroom while running to answer the front door. We were supposed to leave a half hour ago, but all of a sudden, Arianna is taking forever to get ready. Since when do almost 6 year olds need an hour to get ready to go out? I didn't think I'd have to deal with this until she got closer to her teenage years.

I open the front door without first checking to see who it is, and I'm surprised and a little annoyed to find that it's Nick. _**Shit!**_ I think to myself. I should have had Gabi get the door, and then I could have hurried Ari up so we could leave right away. I don't want to be in the same vicinity as Nick for any longer than I have to.

"Will," he says to me, and I can tell he's nervous.

"Nick," I reply and stand blocking the door.

"Please, I understand why you don't want me around Arianna. I deserve that...after...everything. But I like Gabi, I think I like her a lot, and I have changed from that messed up kid I was. I know you won't believe me until you see it, but I hope to prove to you that I am a better person now. And I'm truly sorry for what I put you through."

He seems sincere enough, but it's going to take more than words to change my mind about him. Just as I am about to respond, Gabi is there, intervening and anxious to go.

"Will, I won't be back for dinner, but I will be home in time to tuck Ari in, okay?" Gabi pleads with me to keep my mouth shut; to accept these terms without question.

"Fine. I'm taking her to the museum today, and I'll plan on just the two of us for dinner. I'd like to go over to Sonny's later, so if you could be home in time to get Ari ready for bed, that would be great." I can't keep the coldness from my voice, no matter how hard I try. Gabi is an adult and can go out with anyone she chooses. So, why does it have to be my cousin? The one who made my life a living hell growing up? I still can't figure out how this happened. But I can't change things now. I can only protect Arianna and myself from him and hope Gabi tires of him soon.

"Okay, Will, I'll be home by then." She gives me a grateful smile and walks out the front door. But Nick doesn't follow her right away.

"I meant what I said Will. Maybe someday we can meet for coffee or something and talk. Then you'll see that I am a different person now. I'm so sorry, Will...for everything." He turns and follows Gabi down the walk to his car.

I watch them leave and finally shut the door when they are out of my sight. "Arianna?"

"Yes, Daddy?" my little girl is standing in front of me, completely ready to go.

"Are you finally ready, sweet girl?"

"Yes, I am ready. Are **you** ready?" she retorts, hands on her hips.

"I've been ready for the last hour. So, let's go! How about we grab a quick coffee before the museum?"

"Sonny!" she squeals and runs to my car. Yes, let's go see Sonny. As for Nick? His apology and his changed life and his honorable intentions will just have to wait until later.


	24. Chapter 24

So, I am either a compassionate, forgiving guy (according to Gabi), or I am too trusting and giving someone a chance he doesn't deserve (according to Sonny & my mom). Somewhere caught between my heart and my head is where I reside, hoping that my cousin has changed for the better and yet sensing deep down that he hasn't. I guess I feel like I should give him the benefit of the doubt...for a couple reasons. The first one, Gabi does really seem to like him and although some of her past decisions about men have been questionable, she did fall in love with me, so overall her taste can't be that bad. And the second reason, I acknowledge that illness can change you, make you act in ways you typically wouldn't. If Nick is really on a steady regiment of medication and is truly stable, then maybe now he can be the nice guy I always wanted him to be. Plus, Arianna has great instincts about people, and she didn't seem to think he was all that bad.

I suppose I am justifying to myself why I'm here at the coffee shop, at 7:30 pm, waiting for Nick to join me so we can "talk". Gabi so generously offered to stay at home with Ari when I approached her about my evening plans. You can bet she won't cancel tonight when she has so much to gain from an amicable meeting between Nick and me. Though we're not together anymore, she does still look to me for affirmation, and I think she feels like if Nick and I are okay, then maybe I'll change my mind about letting Arianna spend time with him. I just don't know what to expect. But I knew in my heart, when I accepted Nick's invitation, that I wouldn't feel right if I at least didn't give him one more chance.

So here I am. Sonny wasn't originally scheduled to work tonight, but there was no way he was letting me meet Nick if he wasn't here. I watch my boyfriend as he makes his way back to me to refill my coffee. Though he's smiling at me, his brow is still slightly furrowed, and I know that he's worried about my impending talk with Nick.

As he fills my mug, he leans over to place a soft kiss on my lips. "Thank you babe. You know," I say as I try to smooth out the frown line on his forehead with my thumb, "I'm going to be fine. He won't - can't do anything here in such a public place."

"I know, but I just can't help being a bit concerned. I'm not as optimistic as you are."

"Yeah, I might just be the most gullible guy on the planet."

"No, Will, I didn't mean that. You are so generous and open; those are some of the qualities I love most about you. But I can't help but think that Nick is just taking advantage of your kindness." Still holding the coffee pot in his right hand, he starts to massage the back of my neck with his left.

"Mmmmm, that feels so nice. Maybe I should just skip coffee and make you take me back to your place." I close my eyes and lean back into his strong hand.

"I wouldn't have a problem with that..." and he leans in once more to kiss me. I'm just starting to get into it, my hand has snaked around his waist to pull him closer, when I hear someone clearing his throat in an attempt to get our attention.

Sonny pulls away abruptly, and I suddenly feel cold at the loss of his touch. "Nick," Sonny says stiffly as Nick takes a seat across from me. "Coffee for you?"

"Um, no thank you. But I will take some herbal tea, if you have it. Chamomile or lemon would be fine, as long as it's not black tea."

"We've got lemon, I know that. I'll bring it back to you." Then looking at me intently, he asks, "Are you okay, Will? Anything more you need?"

I get his double meaning, and I appreciate the concern. "I am fine right now, Son. Thank you so much, though." He heads off to get Nick's tea while I shift awkwardly, unsure of how to start a conversation with the boy who bullied me for most of my childhood life.

Thankfully, Nick begins. "Will, you don't know how much I appreciate your willingness to meet me. I've treated quite a few people in my life badly, and I'm at the stage in my recovery where I need to acknowledge what I did and seek forgiveness."

"Okay. I'm listening." Just as Nick is about to speak again, Sonny reappears with his hot tea.

"Thanks, Sonny." Nick gently lifts the tea bag by the string and lets it fall back into the cup. "I ah, don't even know where to start."

"I'm afraid I can't help you with that. Listen, if it's hard for you to talk about, I understand. We don't have to do this today."

"Yes we do, Will," he says forcefully and stares at me with a look of determination. "I owe so many people explanations, apologies...and I think perhaps you deserve answers the most of everyone. You were a constant reminder to me of what I could be - what I so wanted to be - without the illness and the medication. You always had this calmness and sweetness about you that irritated me to no end. It seemed so easy for you to be gentle and nice to others. I never had that instinct, Will. I was always so angry; I think throwing me into a mental hospital and then out into the big world was one of the hardest but ultimately one of the best things for me." Nick focused his eyes on his tea, as if afraid to meet mine.

He was right to think that because my eyes practically bugged out of my head at his admission. "Nick, I had no idea you, um, were ever in the hospital." It's all I could think of to say. I was in shock. But it certainly did make sense now thinking about all the times I wouldn't see him for a couple weeks or even a months. "Do you feel like it helped?"

"For the most part, yes. I only ever got admitted when I was totally out of control angry and impulsive or so depressed I wouldn't leave my room. My mom or Maggie would often be the ones to call my doctor when I got like that." He pauses before continuing and takes a sip of his tea. "Mmmmm, this is really good tea. I cut out caffeine last year when my doctor told me it might be exacerbating some of my manic episodes."

I must look a little lost because he gives me a closed-mouth smile and tries a different approach. "I'm sorry, Will, I'm not sure what you know about bipolar disorder, so I guess I'll just start from the beginning, huh?"

"Yeah, that would be good. I've done a little research online, but up until you, I've not known - or at least been aware of knowing - anyone bipolar."

He nods, drinks another gulp of tea and starts again. "Will, I knew by the time I was 8 that something was going on in my head and body that I just couldn't control. Think about how you feel on a roller coaster or when you're up high on a mountain or in a plane; I know with you being afraid of heights that you quickly feel out of control and start to panic. I feel that way often...except without the roller coaster or mountain; My emotions run from one extreme to the next without much time or warning. That's why I could be playing checkers with you one minute and then the next be calling you names, flipping the board and stalking off."

"It was pretty much impossible not to feel like it was something I did to cause you to react like that." I admit sadly.

"For that I am so sorry, Will. It was never - none of it - your fault. One of the symptoms that I've been more successful in controlling over the last couple of years with new medication is my anger. My temper could flare uncontrollably for days. I'd take it out on anyone around me and blame anyone I could. With you being so gentle and timid and at the farm a lot, you were an easy target for me."

At this point, I'm no longer worried about being politically correct, I just want him to address the question that's been burning in my mind since I found out he is bipolar. "So, are you saying you wouldn't have treated me that way if you weren't bipolar?"

Nick inhales heavily before answering. "First, I prefer to be addressed as a person who has bipolar instead of a bipolar person. I know it seems like a subtle difference, but I feel like the first way doesn't define who I am as much. I have bipolar disorder...just like I have brown hair and green eyes and big ears." I nod to indicate my understanding. "Back to your question; I'd like to put all the responsibility on my illness, but I can't, and I won't ever be able to do that. I also can't say with any certainty that I wouldn't have bullied you without it."

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I know I didn't think I'd hear such candidness from him. "Thanks for being so honest, Nick."

"I have to, Will. It's an essential part of my treatment. It's much easier to hold everything in and try to forget about how I acted then, but that gets me nowhere. I need to own up to everything and try to earn back some belief and trust. To me, that's what is most important." He sounds like he's thought about it a lot.

My turn for honesty. "I can't say that forgiveness is going to come easy for me. There were far too many incidences over far too many years for that to come quickly. But I am willing to try. If you continue to date Gabi, I'll be around and we'll have to deal with each other for her sake. I've not changed my thoughts on interacting with Ari, but I am open to the idea that I might someday."

Nick drinks his remaining tea and sets the cup down on the table. "Thank you, Will. That's all I can say. Thanks for giving me a chance."

"Sure," I respond, "but one screw up, one mistreatment of Gabi or anyone else in my family and your chance is gone." I finish off my coffee and move to stand. "I really should go, Nick. It's close to Arianna's bedtime, and I want to make sure I'm there to say good-night."

"Absolutely Will. Okay then, I'll see you around." He takes his mug from the table and takes it to the front counter where Sonny is working. "Can I get another tea to go this time?"

As Sonny fixes Nick's order, I head to the restroom. I've had at least 3 cups of coffee in the last hour and I can hold it no longer. When I return to the table, Nick is still talking to Sonny. I strain to hear them.

"I know it's not been easy for you Sonny, so please accept my apology as well."

"What do you mean, not been easy for me?" Sonny inquires.

"You obviously care about Will a lot, and I know that he still struggles with trust issues. It looks like you have made him feel safe, and I'm happy for you both. I just know that no one should have to deal with the rage I let loose on him as a child. So, thanks for being there for him. You two seem really good together. I hope to have that someday with someone"

And before Sonny can even respond, Nick turns and walks right out the front door. Sonny raises his head from his hands and sees me staring right at him. I walk towards him and plop down on one of the stools. "Ready to go?" he asks gently.

"Yes, I am. Can we go back to your place for a while? I'd like to talk to you more about this...if you're up for listening to more of my familial issues."

"What about tucking Ari in?" he smiles mischievously as I circle the bar and start to remove his apron.

"Ari and her mama are sharing some bonding time together tonight, and I'd hate to intrude." I wink playfully at him and wiggle my eyebrows a bit.

"Riiii-gghht," he draws the word out and chuckles at my lack of subtlety. "If I didn't know better Horton, I'd think you were trying to get me alone so you can have your way with me."

"Would it be so bad if that were the case? You are looking very fine tonight Mr. Kiriakis."

"Oh, am I?" he teases and brushes his lips against my ear. "Just wait 'til you see me with my clothes off..."

Those inviting words combined with his warm breath and the close proximity of his lips make me feel light-headed. I swoon slightly and have to grab the counter for balance. Sonny smirks, recognizing he's gotten to me. "Come on gorgeous man of mine. Let's head out." He throws his apron in the dirty clothes/towels basket and takes my hand, squeezing it firmly as we head out of the coffee shop. "Lauren, I'm off tomorrow but feel free to call me if needed, okay?"

"Sure Sonny, enjoy your day!" Lauren chimes in before we leave.

"You have the day off tomorrow?" I ask as we're getting into my car. "I could probably work from home if you wanted to hang out or something. I know we don't always get a lot of work done in those situations, but things at work are pretty slow. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"Does that mean you'll stay over at my place then?" He smiles widely at me and I beam at him, excited for the invitation.

"I would love to , Sonny."

* * *

Forty-five minutes later just as we've finally gotten comfortable on his couch, my phone rings. I want to ignore it, but I peek at the picture that pops up and it's Gabi with Ari, hand in hand at the beach. "Hello," I answer quickly.

"Hey Will, how did everything go?" It's Gabi.

"It went pretty well. I'm not 100% on board with the guy, but he did redeem himself to me just a little."

"That's so great. Thanks so much for trying, Will, it really means a lot."

"Sure. Can I talk to Ari before she goes to sleep?"

"Yep. Are you staying there tonight?"

"If that's okay with you. Are you able to get her on the school bus on time tomorrow?"

"Yes, Will," she sounds perturbed. "I think I can handle that."

"Great. I'll be working from home tomorrow, so if you need anything, just send me a message or call."

"Sounds good." Then I hear her shout for Arianna. "Your dad wants to say good night to you!"

"Hello Daddy!" her voice is so sweet as she greets me. "You aren't coming home tonight?"

"No darling. I'm staying over at Sonny's tonight."

"Another slumber party? Jeepers!"

"So this is my goodnight to you! I love you sweetpea and hope you have fun at school tomorrow. I'll be home in the afternoon when you get off the bus, okay?"

"Okay. I love you daddy!"

"I love you too Arianna. Can you put Mommy back on the phone for a minute?"

"Sure! Tell Sonny goodnight for me, too," and then she is away from the phone, "mommmmmmyyyyy..."

"Hey Will, what do you need?"

"I just wanted you to know that I'll be home when Ari gets off the bus tomorrow afternoon. So, no worries about that. Thanks for watching her tonight, Gabs."

"Well, she is my daughter, too, you know!" She teases. "We can talk more tomorrow night if you're around."

"I will be. So, good night Gabi." I hang up the phone to see candles lit all around Sonny's apartment. "Hmmmm...I wonder what you have in mind for us tonight..."

"Well, I know you want to talk about how you feel after your conversation with Nick. So, I thought I'd make things a bit more comfortable."

"I do want to talk about it...but first can we, ummmm, not talk about it for a while and maybe focus on something else entirely?"

He moves toward me slowly, removes the phone from my hand and leads me to the middle of the room where he proceeds to start to undress me with such tenderness that I think I might cry. Sensing hesitancy, he stops and cradles my face in his hands. "Is this not okay, honey? I thought this is what you meant..."

"No, no! This is very okay. And it's exactly what I meant. I'm just so in awe of you. You're terribly romantic and patient. I love you so much."

"I love you, too. Now be quiet so I can kiss you."

Though the room is dimly lit just by candles, I can still see the sparkle in his eyes and his smile as he says that. "Gladly," I smile back, link my fingers through the belt loops of his pants and hold on tightly.


	25. Chapter 25

**_A/N: Mature content included. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_**

* * *

No matter how many times Sonny kisses me or how tenderly he wraps his arms around me after we make love or how gently and confidently he always says "I love you, Will" before we fall asleep, every time feels like the most wonderful, magical dream come true. That someone as amazing as Sonny loves me and wants to be with me, well that in itself seems quite miraculous. And if I'm lucky enough to keep this man's love for the rest of my life, well then I promise that I will not let even one day pass by without giving thanks to the stars above for bringing me my soulmate and true love.

I know what you're going to say: that my romantic declaration couldn't have been any sappier had I drained it from the maple tree myself. Well, too bad. Every word is sincere, and I honestly wish for everyone to be able to experience this kind of love at least once in their life. When I'm with Sonny I feel invincible and vulnerable at the same time, hot and cold, hard and soft, strong and delicate, so very grounded and like I'm floating on air. I never thought that we could work - Sonny and me. I thought that he was too much of a free spirit, born to travel the world, and I was too much of a small town boy dedicated to my family. But what neither of us counted on was meeting in the middle somewhere between climbing mountains and playing the tooth fairy. That destination also includes one smart, adorable, precocious little girl. Just when I was starting to think that I couldn't maintain a long term relationship with Ari in my life, Sonny came along and showed me that I could. He proved to both me and Arianna that he could capture our hearts in very different ways. I guess you could say that we all fell in love.

Quite frankly, it is because of all these wonderful things in my life that I am on top of the world. Well, not literally. In fact, you might be interested to know that in my various sexual encounters - which pretty much just includes Gabi, some desperate groping in the front seat of my car after a couple first dates with guys I don't remember, and then Sonny - I have yet to top. Yes, it's true; Gabi climbed on me during our one and only time together. The front seat make-out marathons don't count, and then there's Sonny. Whether it's because of my lack of experience or his eagerness to teach me, I've only known the bottom with him. Don't get me wrong! I am not complaining. I just...well...I'm pretty sure I'd like to see how it feels to take charge one of these next times.

"Sonny?" We are curled up into each other on his side of the bed.

"Yes my love?"

"Ummm," I pause a second and subconsciously bite my bottom lip. He gently rubs my lip with his thumb, setting it free. "Okay, ummm, in all of your...experiences, have you always topped?"

His eyes open wide with surprise. "Aw, sweetie, you're finally learning the gay lingo. I'm so proud," he teases and snuggles me in closer. "To answer your question, yes, I suppose I have. I mean I have been versatile, like with Garrett, but I am used to taking charge, you know, and typically that means I end up on top."

We sit in silence for a moment, while I let his revelation sink in. It's not that I'm surprised, in fact, his response is exactly what I anticipated. What surprises me is my sudden desire to do that, too; to be the top for once. I know how fucking incredible it feels to have Sonny inside of me, and I just can't help but wonder what it might feel like if I was the one inside of him.

"Would you be open to me topping sometime?"

He doesn't speak for a moment, and I'm afraid I've broken some unwritten rule between lovers. "Son?" I croak nervously and pull my head from his chest to look him straight in the eye. Did I just ruin this moment with my ignorance? But what I see isn't annoyance or hesitancy. What I see is raw, unabashed desire. He answers my question with a searing kiss.

In one swift movement, Sonny has pulled me completely on top of him. "Will," he growls as he presses his hips into mine, "you are so fucking hot. Yes...I mean no, I mean yes, I want you to top me."

And that's when I start to freak out a little. "But I'm not sure what to do...I mean, how do you like to be ahh, prepared? How do I know how fast, how hard? How will I know if I've hit the right spot?" When I envisioned asking, I thought maybe it would happen during one of our next times. I didn't expect it to happen right now. This very moment.

"Will," he places a finger over my lips, "we help each other, right? You didn't need a lesson our first time together. Just follow your instincts. It's more about feelings and giving pleasure than about following the handbook on the proper way to have gay sex."

"There's a book?"

"No, honey, there is no book!" he chuckles at my naiveté.

"Brat."

"Maybe. But I'm your brat. And you can't help but love and adore me." His smile is warm and inviting, and I lean in to capture his freshly licked lips with mine. I intensify the kiss, take his hands in mine and stretch them up over his head. He groans as our bodies flatten against each other, our growing hardness even more evident than before. Watching as his beautiful brown eyes flutter closed with pleasure, I press his knees up close to his chest and let myself slide down in between. This elicits another wonderful sound from him, and now my confidence isn't the only thing growing quickly. I let my cock slide down so my leaky tip just caresses his hole.

"Oh God, yes, Will!" And I can't help myself from smiling, knowing that my movements, inexperienced as they are, continue to drive Sonny crazy.

"Tell me what you want, baby," I encourage him to help me know where to go next. He sits up slightly, grabs the lube from the nightstand table and coats a couple of my fingers thoroughly. He leads them to his pink, puckered hole. He gasps audibly and shivers - and I can't tell whether it is from the coldness of the gel or the anticipation of my touch.

Before I actually touch him, though, I have to stop and take in the sight before me. This incredibly gorgeous man, MY man, is laid out in front of me, hair tousled and cheeks flushed, swollen lips, eyes intense, boring into mine, chest smooth and taut, abdomen firm with his arousal stretched up past the dark curls, incredibly strong, tanned thighs spread open for me, exposing his most intimate, sacred place. Without even thinking, I dip my head down to rub my cheeks and nose against his hard cock, his firm balls, his spread buttocks and beautiful entrance. I inhale and I'm utterly intoxicated. I have to close my eyes to settle my own breathing and keep my emotions in check. My tongue snakes out, and I softly lick all around and down to this place I've never been. As I taste him there for the first time, Sonny lets out a huge moan, "aaahhhh! Oh shit! Will, that feels incredible." He's panting and starting to writhe underneath me.

"Sonny, you are incredible...to smell, to taste, to watch...you take my breath away."

"Will, please," he pleads, eyes mirroring my own unbridled desire, "I want you inside of me, please." His last words are no more than a whisper.

I nod, holding his gaze for just a second before focusing my attention back on pleasuring him. I take my previously lubricated finger and circle his hole, teasing before entering, slowing pushing a little inside before retreating. "Yes, Will..." I hear from above, and that's enough encouragement to keep moving; pushing in a little farther each time. "Two now, please. Open me for you..." Sonny's words are such a turn-on, and I have to take a couple calming breaths to settle the orgasm I feel creeping to the surface. I will not let myself cum until the perfect time.

My middle finger joins in the penetration and without any direction, I start to move my fingers apart to stretch him. A couple times when I push all the way in, I feel a smooth, firm bump that causes Sonny to shout every time I brush up against it. Must be his prostate, I think to myself proudly. I add a third finger and that's when Sonny sits up and grabs my wrist. "Now, Will, I'm ready. Please." His words are confident and desperate. And polite. Even making love the man is so damn polite!

"Okay Sonny," and I smile and kiss him on the lips. He reaches for the lube one more time and gets a condom from the nightstand drawer. Rolling it down over my hardness, he adds additional lubricant to the outside, up and down my shaft. He lays back down, and I direct the head of my cock to his entrance and push just inside the rim. "Oh, god, oh, god, oh god..." I wonder who is saying that until I realize it's me.

"Yes, Will! I want you to fill me up!"

And so I push in further, and further until I'm balls deep and surrounded completely by Sonny's intense heat. Immediately I start to pull back out only to thrust in again, this time more forcefully. The room suddenly fills with our sweet, passionate cries, and that in itself is enough to make me explode.

"Sonny, you are so tight, you feel amazing..."

"Will, you, aaaahhhh, you hit the right spot every time. You are huge and feel so fucking incredible inside me."

We continue whispering our sweet-nothings as our breathing becomes more ragged and our voices start to crack. "Son, I'm getting close..."

"Shit, Will, cum inside of me..."

"Can I touch you Sonny?" I ask as I see his hand creep down to his own throbbing erection. He nods haphazardly, and I reach out to wrap my hand around his that's already on his cock.

"Fuck!" Sonny's head goes back and his hips thrust forward. I keep the hand job rhythm the same so each thrust is matched with an equal stroke. I can feel us both coming undone and our previous talk is now reduced to unintelligible moans and gasps and declarations of love.

"I love you so much!" and I push into him even harder, thrusting with everything I've got.

"And I love you too...oh my god, this is it Will!"

I pick up the pace until I feel us both hold our breath and clench our stomachs. "Cumming, oh, Sonny, I'm...yes!" I punctuate my declaration with one final, forceful push until I feel myself start to fill the condom.

"Yes, Will...I'm cumming, too..." and I feel warm ribbons cover my hand and belly as he releases with me.

We breathe together through our mind-blowing orgasm, and we collapse into each other's arms together. Neither of us speak for a while. I don't think either of us can.

After a while, I feel a hand under my chin, pulling my gaze up to meet his. Sonny's brown eyes still look a bit hooded but at the same time they sparkle and hold mine as our mouths both open into a wide grin. "Wow," is all I can manage.

"Yeah, wow." We keep grinning like giddy school girls until I start to feel a little uncomfortable and itchy. I reluctantly pull out of him and push off of him to head into the bathroom to clean up. I grab a damp towel to take back into the bedroom for Sonny, but just as I turn around to leave, he's there, arms around my waist and lips on my shoulder blades.

"I was just bringing a towel so I could clean you up."

"I thought maybe you would, which is why I decided to meet you here."

My back still to him, I feel safe asking my next question, "so, ummm...did that go the way it was supposed to?"

"Will, ah, let's just say that I'm open to being more versatile after your recent performance as a top."

I smile, suspecting and hoping that's what he'd say. "I did okay, then, huh?"

This time Sonny spins me around in his arms, so I am facing him, our noses less than an inch apart. "Never ever have I felt like that before, Will. Never."

"Me either. That was pretty spectacular."

Sonny can only nod, and I see a tear creeping into the corner of his eyes. "You amaze me, Sonny, and you are beautiful and I don't want to live even one day of my life without you."

He answers me with a tender kiss. His hands thread through my hair and I pull him closely to me. "Ditto," is all he says and then nuzzles my nose with his. It's an incredibly touching moment, being so close to him, declaring to each other the depth of our commitment. "Not another day without you, Will. Promise me."

"I promise." I punctuate my promise with a kiss and take his hand to lead him back into the bedroom.

"Are you thirsty? Hungry?"

I stop to think for a moment. "As a matter of fact, I am. Should we head to the kitchen instead?"

"Sounds good to me." Suddenly he stops us in the hallway. "Will? I meant what I just said, you know. I'm not sure how this will all look in the future, but I know that I don't want to and cannot live without you. You are as essential to me as the air I breathe. So, know that we have a bright, happy future ahead of us. No one will get in our way."

"No one," I whisper and lean in for a kiss. Our foreheads settle against one another as we drink in the smells and sounds and feeling that is us.

"Mmmmm, a grilled cheese sandwich sounds good..." Sonny interrupts the silence.

"I think I even saw some tomatoes there we could throw on, too. I love grilled cheese with tomato."

"Yummy. You're in charge of making them, okay?"

"Deal. And then maybe as my reward for fixing you food, I get to top one more time tonight?" I wink suggestively at him.

"Take it easy there tiger, let's eat first and then figure out if we have the stamina for more. Okay?"

"Sure. But just so you know, I'll always have the stamina for you, Son, always."

"Good. I feel the same way," he pauses to look at me before pulling me back towards the kitchen. "Now, let's eat."


	26. Chapter 26

I'm pretty sure that I have a terribly goofy and completely smitten grin on my face and have since I left Sonny's an hour ago. I'm also pretty sure that last night and this morning will go down in history as the best 12 hours of my entire life. I still sort of feel like it was a dream. Being together was just so effortless and incredible. We talked, listened to music, cuddled, made love, cooked for each other, had breakfast in bed, made love again, and again, and said "I love you" to each other no less than 50 times. Perfect is the only word I know that truly captures how I feel about last night.

As I pull into my driveway, I mentally make sure I've made all the stops I needed to make before heading home. I went to the store to pick up some groceries, made a visit to see my grandmother at the pub, and even picked up a new book for Arianna's bedtime tonight. "That's it!" I say to myself and pull the bags from the back of the car.

I'm so distracted, perhaps totally lost in my own wonderful world of Sonny, that I don't notice Gabi's car still parked in the garage. I unlock the front door, still none the wiser, walk right into the kitchen and start unpacking bags.

"Will, you're home a little earlier than I thought..." Gabi's voice scares the crap out of me.

"Oh jeez!" I jump a couple feet back and drop the bag of apples I'm holding to the floor. "Gabi! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at work?" I lean over and check the fruit for bruises. They don't look too bad. I pick them up and put them into the produce drawer in the fridge. I glance over to see Gabi's head peek up over the couch. I'm still looking at her waiting for an explanation when Nick's head pops up right next to hers. He holds a hand up in greeting.

"Gabi, what the hell is going on? And Nick, why are you here? Shouldn't you both be working?" Gabi just started a new job a few weeks ago, and if she gets fired again, this time for absences, then she'll need to postpone yet again the move into her own place. I'll not be having that. So, needless to say, I'm pissed...not only to find Gabi home but also because she's here playing hooky with Nick.

"Will, let me explain." She walks into the kitchen and holds on to the back of one of the chairs. I stand there, leaning up against the counter, arms crossed, ready for her to feed me some lame excuse as to why she deserves a day off. "Ummm, well, Arianna had a rough morning..."

"What happened to Ari?" my tone changes when I hear my daughter mentioned.

"She didn't get hurt or anything, Will, don't worry. She just woke up from a really, really bad nightmare at about 2:30am. She was screaming and tossing so much in her bed I thought she was going to throw herself right off. I was able to wake her up, and she sobbed when she saw me. I couldn't get her to talk about it, but it sure messed her up. She pretty much refused to fall back asleep. I let her stay in my bed with me and just held her until the alarm went off."

"Poor baby girl," I'm so sad that I wasn't here for her. I hate the thought of my precious daughter going through that without me. "And she was okay to go to school? With little to no sleep?"

Gabi sighs. "She wouldn't stay home. She's such a stubborn one, that girl; she reminds me of her father..."

"Very funny. I think she gets it from both sides, actually."

"Maybe," Gabi says with a smile. "But I was exhausted. I stayed awake all night with her and didn't want to fall back asleep for fear of her having another nightmare or sleep walking or something like that. I called in and talked to my boss, and he understood. I'm being responsible, Will, this time. I don't want to lose this job; it means too much."

"Okay. But, you stayed home to rest and for some reason you felt you could only do that with Nick around?" The beginning of my speech is calm. The end of it is not. I just met with the man the night before to see if it was possible for me to forgive him for treating me like shit as a child. We had one talk. One cup of coffee. I by no means gave my okay to start having Nick over to our house - MY house - for daily visits. Not to mention Arianna will be home in about 2 hours. I do NOT want him around her. That hasn't changed.

"It's not what you think..." she starts, getting a bit flustered.

"Well, I'm listening." I stare at her waiting for a response.

"Okay, well, I dropped Ari off at school - I thought it would be nice to not make her ride the bus when she wasn't feeling all that great - and then I stopped at the pub for some breakfast to go. Nick happened to be there picking up some coffee, and we just started talking. He had a few errands to run still, and I wanted to nap for a little while, but I wanted to talk to him more...so, I ah..."

"You invited him here." I finish for her.

"Yes. But I told him that as soon as you got home he'd have to leave, and he certainly needed to be gone when Ari got home from school. I'm sorry Will if it caught you off guard. I guess I didn't think to talk to you about it first."

I don't say anything more. I just turn around and continue putting groceries away. I know that Gabi is still standing there, waiting for me to say something, but I can't just yet. And then he speaks. "Will, it was my fault, I'm sorry. I wanted to keep talking with Gabi but we both had other things to do first. I kind of invited myself over."

"No, Nick, don't try to take the blame for this. I invited you here. This is Will's house, I am only staying until I get my own place, so I should have checked with him before having you over." She turns from Nick to me. "I'm sorry. Come on Nick, I'll walk you out." Gabi leads him past the kitchen to the foyer. Before he shuts the door behind them, he turns to me, "Thank you. It was good to see you again, Will. Have a good night." And he's gone.

What the hell? "...good to see you again..." are words I never thought I'd hear from him. And "thank you..." too? I don't know what's happening, but Nick keeps surprising me. Am I a fool to think that this change seems genuine? It's hard for me to believe but at the same time, hard for me not to believe.

I shift my focus back on putting away the last few groceries before heading into my room to do a little work before Arianna gets home. I fire up my laptop and pop into my email. There's several from clients, even more from co-workers, and one last message from an address I don't recognize. I'm tempted at first not to open it. I'm an IT guy, and I know the ramifications of opening potentially virus-laced messages. I also know that if our security software didn't catch it, and if it passed all the other checks before landing in my inbox, well, then it probably was safe. Besides, I hear from potential clients all the time asking for quotes on equipment and service.

I re-read the sender's address making sure one last time that I don't recognize it: F Lincoln Ka and the rest is at businessgenius dot com. Nope. Doesn't sounds familiar. I opt to open it. And I'm glad I did.

"Dear Mr. Horton, I am interested in speaking with you regarding the potential upgrade to our servers here at Business Genius. Please contact me at your earliest convenience. I look forward to speaking with you. Sincerely, Mr. F Lincoln Ka"

I write a polite response thanking him for his inquiry, asking him to answer a few questions about his business (number of employees, offices, current IT vendor, etc.) and to include a contact number. Because I'm not in the office, I don't feel completely prepared to offer any type of assessment or estimate, but information gathered today will make it easier for me to act on once I'm in the office tomorrow.

My phone buzzes, and I pick it up, hoping it's a text from Sonny. It is.

_**Hey gorgeous, how are you doing? Getting lots of work done?**_

_**Just starting. Gabi AND Nick here when I got home. Not a happy camper.**_

_**What was he doing there?**_

_**Hanging with Gabi. Tell u more later. How R U? **_

_**Ok. Missing my fantastic, adorable, incredibly sexy boyfriend.**_

_**Me too! We both must be really lucky to have boyfriends like that.**_

_**Oh yes. I think we both got very lucky last night.**_

_**And this morning. ;)**_

_**When do I get to see you again?**_

_**Maybe tomorrow?**_

_**I wish it could be now.**_

_**Me too. I luv u.**_

_**I luv u so much. I'm at the shop tomorrow. Maybe stop by after Arianna is home from school. Hot chocolate with extra whipped cream is on me.**_

_**Oh baby, I sure wish the whipped cream was on you.**_

_**Will! You've never texted anything dirty to me before!**_

_**You think that was dirty? Just u wait Mr. **_

_**Bring it on.**_

_**Fine. U may need a few extra breaks tomorrow, either that or time in the storeroom. **_

_**I won't believe it til I see it, Horton.**_

_**Ok fine. I better go. Ari's bus will b here soon.**_

_**Sounds good. Give your pumpkin a big kiss for me.**_

_**I will. Talk to U tomorrow. Luv u, Sonny.**_

_**Luv you 2, Will. **_

Just as I finish reading Sonny's last message, I hear Arianna's bus pull to a stop almost right in front of our house. I greet her at the door. "Sweetheart - how was school today?" And she runs into my arms.

"Daddy, I missed you. I had a bad dream last night."

"I heard, sweet girl, Mommy told me it was really bad. She also told me you didn't want to talk about it."

"Daddy it was bad." Arianna looks so tired, so sad that I just want to pull her in my arms and squeeze and never let go.

"Do you remember what it was about Ari?"

"Ummm...I do remember part of it, Daddy." I nod for her to continue. We walk to the living room, and I sit down on the couch, pulling her into my lap. "I don't know if I can say."

"Well, you don't have to if you really don't want to. But I think it might help to tell someone. If you don't want to tell me maybe you could talk to Mommy?"

"No! I can't. Mommy was in the dream too." She fidgets with her skirt and then looks me squarely in the eye - blue on blue - sharing the same sadness and intensity. "I'll tell you."

"I'm glad, sweetie. Take your time. I'm here whenever you are ready."

I expect her to avoid talking a little while longer, so I'm surprised when she speaks right away. "There was a real mean guy with two faces who kept chasing me."

I pause a moment to let that settle in. "Two faces?"

"Yes. One on front an one on back. One face was smiling. The other was very mean. That's the one that scared me daddy."

"Why did that one scare you the most?"

"It just kept calling out for me. His eyes were red and he had big, sharp teeth."

"You sure it wasn't the big bad wolf, Arianna sweetheart?" I tease comfortably, smiling at her.

"Daddy, don't tease. I was really scared."

"I know you were honey, I'm sorry. It must have been very frightening for you."

"Yes, Daddy, I kept wishing you were here."

I don't know what to say. If I would have been here, then that means I wouldn't have been at Sonny's, which means my dream-come-true night with him would not have happened. But had I been here, maybe the nightmare wouldn't have happened, and Ari wouldn't be looking so terrified right now.

"I love you Arianna, you know that don't you?" I pull her back in for another hug.

"I love you too Daddy,"

"Ok now go get changed. I have a surprise for you!"

"Yay, Daddy! What is it?"

"Now if I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore now would it?"

Arianna pouts. "No."

"Okay then. Go, change, read, homework and then you can help me with dessert." I watch as she smiles and dances down the hallway to her room. I turn back around, trying to understand what might have spooked my daughter enough to have a dream like that. I'm in pretty deep thought when Arianna appears in front of me and pulls me into a very tender embrace

"I love you Daddy."

"I love you too, pumpkin. Oh, and Sonny wanted me to say 'hello' to you and give you a kiss." I give her a light peck on the cheek.

"Are you having a sleepover with him again tonight?"

"No, honey, it'll just be me here. But maybe we could do that again sometime soon."

"Good. I like Sonny a lot."

"I do too," I grin at her.

"Well, I love Sonny," she chides, thinking she's got me beat. I laugh and let her win, even though I'm thinking about how much I love him, too. Without another word, she skips off to her room, and I resume worrying about what happened this morning. This isn't the first time Arianna has had bad dreams, but they have never scared her as much as this one seems to have done.

"A man with two faces?" I mumble out loud, as I get up and start getting dinner ready. This may just be a good time to have Ari talk with Grandma Marlena. I know I wouldn't have survived without being able to talk to her, so maybe that's what Arianna needs too. Tomorrow I'll call to see if Marlena can see us right away. Even though Arianna seems to have bounced back from the bad dream, for some reason this one disturbs me more than any of the others. And I am right to feel that way.


End file.
